Sandman Unlimited
by WafflesTheApprentice
Summary: Sandman's life was never easy. First a villain, then an Avenger, then a reluctant villain again. But now he's been thrown into a new dimension of different heroes entirely! Will he once again become the hero he was meant to be? Takes place during Justice League Unlimited, starting from "Starcrossed". Based on "Ben 10: Unlimited" by The Incredible Muffin.
1. Starcrossed

**Hello Everyone! After a long hiatus I'm finally back and publishing my own stories. Certain complications kept me away for a while, and then I was helping my friend and fellow author UntoldStoriesTold writing his own FanFiction for a bit. But now I'm back with this little story, inspired by the stories "Ben 10: Unlimited" by The Incredible Muffin and "Beacon of Justice" by AffectEffect12. I had this idea kicking around for a while, and finally got around to writing it. It is also substantially longer than anything else I've yet written. I hope the quality is an improvement over my previous works.**

 **I don't own any characters. Sandman, Uatu, the Frightful Four, and the Avengers are owned by Marvel. All Justice League properties and characters are owned by DC and Warner Bros.**

* * *

A lone being gazes down at the planet called Earth. His name is Uatu the Watcher, and from the blue area of the moon he observes the Earth and its inhabitants. Despite his love and care for the Earth and her people, he is forbidden from ever interfering in their affairs or quarrels. This fact often saddens Uatu, but regardless he has faith that the heroes of the world will right the wrongs presented to their home, whether natural disaster or extra-terrestrial menace. However, one being had caught his interest that day. Not a hero, but a villain. A man who had once reformed from his criminal ways, but was now travelling further on a downward spiral. This man needed something to interfere and change his life for the better.

"William Baker, prepare to go on a journey of a lifetime. It's time for the Sandman to leave this world" Uatu said simply, as a large swirling vortex opened near the Super-Criminal.

* * *

The Wizard cackled maniacally as he forced the Avengers back with a beam of energy. He and his Frightful Four had just started a new attack on the Avengers and so far everything was going according to plan. Salamandra, a woman dressed in black leather and with super strength to match her martial arts prowess, was keeping Iron Man occupied, and the Trapster, a rather useless villain who used a large glue gun, was already defeated, but that was to be expected. Meanwhile, Sandman was fighting Spider-Man and holding his own fairly well.

"Damn it web-head, hold still!" Sandman yelled in frustration.

"Sorry Sandy, but that's not exactly a part of the plan!" Spider-Man quipped back as he nimbly dodged Sandman's every move.

Sandman however was not fighting at his whole power. He didn't want to fight anymore. He was sick and tired of being a villain. He was an Avenger once, at least until the Wizard had gotten a hold of him. Wizard subjected him to brainwashing techniques to make him villainous again and had now put him into his new Frightful Four.

However, the brainwashing had worn off long ago. Sandman was just biding his time, to see if Wizard would notice. But nothing happened.

"Sandman! It's time to finish this!" Wizard called as he unveiled a new device. Sandman's eyes narrowed. He knew what this device was. It was intended to send the Avengers to another world. But it needed time to charge a shot.

And that time was all Sandman needed to retaliate.

"You bet it is!" Sandman called back as he shot towards Wizard, hands formed into large mallets.

"Sandman, what are you doing?!" Wizard called out in shock as the others ceased fighting to watch. Even the normally violent Salamandra halted as she watched Sandman suddenly strike Wizard across the face.

"I'm through taking your orders! You messed with my head! You ruined my life!" Sandman yells as he walks towards the downed Wizard.

"How dare you defy me?!" Wizard said as he aimed the device at Sandman.

"Sandman look out!" Captain America called as Sandman formed a large mallet again.

"No worries cap. I know what I'm doing" He says in reply before smashing the device. The sudden force against the device caused a surge of power, and with the firing mechanism destroyed, the energy released itself in one powerful burst, sending the Sandman through a portal.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, Sandman finally landed on the other side of the vortex. It opened inside of an alley before unceremoniously dropping him onto the ground with a pained grunt. Slowly, he stood up again, holding his swirling head, before taking a look at his surroundings.

"Where am I? It looks too clean to be Manhattan." He mutters before looking at a local newspaper.

"The Daily Globe eh? Metropolis? Never heard of it" He says before looking up in the sky. His eyes widened soon after as he saw a massive warship floating in the air above the skyline. "Holy shi-"

"Halt, Human!"

He turned to see who had interrupted him and raised an eyebrow in response. In front of him were two men with large bird wings, beaked helmets, and carrying lances. "Show us your identification, or you will face punishment!"

It didn't take Flint long to put two and two together. There must be an invasion, and they must be the bad guys.

"Sorry but I ain't human" He smirked as his hands formed into his classic mallets. The alien's eyes quickly widened in fear. "I'm the god damn Sandman!" he shouted before launching forwards and smacking both of them into a nearby wall, knocking them out quickly.

"Now, that must be the mother ship." He mused before launching towards the ship in a stream of sand. "Time to save the Earth, without the Avengers. Look out world, Sandman is a hero again!"

* * *

Betrayed by one of their own, the mighty Justice League were now prisoners to the Thanagarians, thanks to their former friend and ally, Shayera the Hawkgirl. Wonder Woman's own unbreakable lasso bound her up tight. Superman was contained a sphere of red sun radiation, draining his power and reducing him to a mere human's strength. Flash, the fastest man alive, was pinned by gravity generators that halted his movement. Martian Manhunter was held by metals he couldn't phase through. Batman and Green Lantern, being the only normal humans of the group, were simply caged in handcuffs; although Green Lantern's ring had been confiscated. Throughout the room a sense of betrayal hung, heavy on their minds as silence permeated between them.

Their contemplative silence was soon broken by the sound of a struggle outside the doors. The pained grunts and cries of Thanagarians got steadily closer before the door to their prison was burst open and the two Thanagarian guards were incapacitated by what appeared to be a living sandstorm. Before their shock could wear off, the sand formed into a man. He was just over six feet tall, and wore a green striped sweater with brown corduroy pants.

"Judging by how you're in those cells, I'm gonna say you're the good guys" he says, a little flicker of uncertainty in his voice as he hoped he wasn't attacking the wrong people this whole time.

Superman looked up at the new arrival with a flicker of hope and nodded from inside his red prison. "We're the Justice League. We fight to protect the Earth and the people who live on it"

'Justice League? Definitely not on my earth anymore' Sandman thinks to himself before nodding. "Well you can call me the Sandman." He replies before moving to Wonder Woman's cell. Upon seeing her he hoped to high heaven that he wasn't blushing at the sight of her. He shook it off quickly before untying her as more Thanagarians stormed the room. "Free your friends! I'll handle these bozos" He says before jumping into the fray again, attacking with this hands once again in the form of mallets.

As Sandman fought the Thanagarians away, Wonder Woman successfully freed her comrades who then joined in the fray. Between Superman and Wonder Woman's strength, Flash's speed, Martian Manhunter's shapeshifting, and the tenacity of both Batman and Green Lantern, the Thanagarians were swiftly defeated. However, that all changed as a particularly rotund Thanagarian entered bearing a cannon.

"Aw crap, hit the deck!" Sandman said as all the heroes avoided the blow of the cannon, which promptly left a hole in the wall of the vessel, exposing the city below. Before another shot could be fired, Superman destroyed the cannon and knocked out their assailant.

"Let's move!" Superman said as Sandman flew out first in a cloud of dust. Superman grabbed Batman as Martian Manhunter helped Green Lantern and Wonder Woman flew Flash out.

"You know, it's possible, and I could be wrong here" Flash started, "but I think that guy is on our side."

* * *

To the surprise and relief of both Sandman and the League, they encountered no other Thanagarian forces during their escape. However, with the threat looming, they decided it was safer to duck inside a nearby clothing store. Once inside, the League turned to address Superman.

"That x-ray vision working again?" Lantern asked Superman who nodded. "Just enough to see that we're are surrounded by Thanagarian forces" The Kryptonian replies.

'X-ray vision, super strength, and flight?! How powerful is this guy?' Sandman thought to himself, before noticing six pairs of eyes land on him.

"So, uh... What's the plan now?" Sandman asked the assembled League.

"Sit tight and hope they go away?" Flash suggested before receiving glares of irritation from the others. "What? A little optimism couldn't hurt" he defends.

Almost as in reply to his suggestion a booming announcement was made by the Thanagarian forces:

"THIS IS THE VOICE OF THE THANAGARIAN OCCUPATIONAL AUTHORITY. THE JUSTICE LEAGUE ARE ESCAPED PRISONERS AND VIOLATERS OF OUR MARTIAL LAW. THEY ARE TO BE CONSIDERED AN ENEMY, AND DEALT WITH ON SIGHT. ANY PERSON OR PERSONS FOUND AIDING OR HARBOURING THEM… WILL BE SUMMARILY PUNISHED".

"Optimism eh?" Sandman asked as Flash slumped in response. "Something like that, yeah"

Batman, meanwhile, took the chance to speak. "We're going to have to underground for the time being. Keep low and rethink our plan of attack."

"How exactly do we hide when the whole city is looking for us?" Wonder Woman asked quizzically.

"Not to mention that your costumes don't exactly scream subtlety" Sandman adds.

"He is correct" Martian Manhunter says as he draws the others' attention away from their new ally to examine a nearby coat. "They are looking for our costumes. But without them," he says before shifting into a man wearing an exact copy of that brown coat. "We are ordinary citizens"

"Whoa, wait a second!" Flash interjected quickly. "What about the whole secret identity thing? I mean, I trust you guys, but what about him?" He asks before jerking a thumb to Sandman.

Sandman sighed slightly and shook his head. He figured that they might not trust him, since they're only just meeting each other. As such, he decided to make the first introduction. "It's okay, you don't have to worry about me. My name is William Baker, but my friends call me Flint" he says with a sad smile. His friends. The last people who called him Flint were Cap and the web-head, all the way back in his Avengers days.

Then, shocking everyone in the League, Batman removed his cowl to revealing black hair and piercing eyes. "Bruce Wayne. Flash is Wally West. Superman is Clark Kent. Green Lantern is John Stewart. And you know Diana and J'onn" he says as he points to each corresponding member.

Within a few minutes, the entire League was now in civilian guise, ready to attempt a journey in the open. After exiting into the alley they entered the store through, Bruce checked outside to make sure that the coast was clear before they proceeded.

"We need to split up. They expect seven of us" Green Lantern pointed out.

"We need to get to Gotham City. We can regroup at my house. Try not to draw attention to yourselves" Bruce states. "I'll go with Diana" he adds as the others nod.

"I'll go with Flint. I can show him the way over" Wally says as Flint nods.

"Lead the way"

* * *

Shayera Hol, formerly known as the heroine Hawkgirl, listened with growing disdain as she talked to her 'beloved' Hro Talak, leader of the Thanagarian army. After having overheard a conversation between him and another Thanagarian about the project, she had more than a few pressing questions; specifically about using the people of Earth as slave labour to build their device.

Talak's response however, shook her to her core. "We are on a most unforgiving schedule. We must move as quickly as possible if we want to finish the hyperspace bypass in time" he said plainly, revealing the true nature of his plan to her.

Shayera's eyes widened in shock at this revelation. "Bypass? I thought we were creating a force field around Earth!"

"That was simply our cover story" Hro said in reply as Shayera immediately stopped to think of the implications of this. "Follow me" he urged as she walked with him down to the war room of the ship they were on. Once inside, Hro brought her to a large screen that held their battle strategies and tactics. "As you are well aware, the Gordanian homeworld has been protected for decades by an impenetrable defensive line," he starts as the screen shifts to show the Gordanian homeworld surrounded by a massive blockade of warships, "but this chain of hyperspace bypasses will allow the full force of our armada to go around their defenses by jumping behind them, which will let us wage a direct assault on the heart of their empire."

Despite the sheer strategic brilliance of the plan, Shayera was still unsure.

"Earth is the last link in the chain. Once we finish it, we can finally attack and annihilate the threat of the Gordanians forever." Hro said happily while Shayera was still dismayed by his words.

"But ripping a hole in hyperspace will destroy this entire planet, and everyone on it!" she says in protest as Hro nodded grimly, revealing the toll that this war had taken on him. "Unfortunately yes" He says with slight sorrow in his voice. "For Thanagar to live, Earth must die"

* * *

At first the journey over to Gotham was quiet. An awkward silence hung low around both Flint and his new speedster ally, until Wally finally cleared his throat as though he were going to say something.

"So, what's your story? Where do your powers come from?" He asked, making brief eye contact.

"My powers? I was involved in an accident. Some sort of nuclear experiment on a beach gone awry, and I was caught up in the middle of it" Flint mused, a small chuckle escaping his lips at how absurd it sounded, now that he really thought about it.

"Were you a worker at the facility?"

"No I was running through" He said simply. Then with some hesitation he continued. "I was trying to escape the police"

"They accuse you of something?"

"No, I stole some jewels" Flint admits guiltily. He really didn't want to lose these new allies on the first day. Not with his fresh start.

"So, you're a criminal then? Don't worry, I won't arrest you since you've helped us so far, but if you try anything I'm taking you in" Flash says with his hands raised defensively.

"No I'm not. Not anymore at least" He says before explaining his life story. His start as a criminal, his reform when he joined the Avengers, who he explained to be like the Justice League of his world (Flash was surprised and intrigued to discover that he was from another world entirely), and finally his fall back to villainy after being brainwashed at the hands of the supervillain known as The Wizard.

"That's some story, but there's one thing I don't get" Flash said with a curious glance. "After all you've been through, why is being a hero so important to you now?"

Flint gave another small smile. "My daughter. I was a criminal to make sure I had the money to look after her, especially with her illness. But she was repulsed by my actions. I went the straight and narrow to regain her favour. Besides it's not like I enjoyed being the bad guy much. But the major tipping point, was a good friend of mine. He changed my entire life with six simple words; with great power, comes great responsibility". Flint finished with a smile. He would have to thank the web-head for everything later. If he ever saw him again that is.

"Words to live by" Flash remarked as both men shared a small laugh.

Before either of them knew it, they had arrived at the fabled Wayne Manor.

* * *

Despite the Flash being the fastest man alive, he and Sandman were the last pair to arrive at Wayne Manor. After approaching the door, they were immediately let in by an aging butler who had introduced himself as Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred then led them to a grandfather clock, which opened up to reveal a staircase down into a large cavern; the Batcave. As Sandman and Flash descended down to where the others were gathered, they looked around in astonishment at everything they saw; a giant penny, costumes of all shapes and sizes and even a Tyrannosaurus.

"You're late" Batman stated plainly, as Sandman shrugged.

Meanwhile, Flash had finally seen the large Tyrannosaur. "Hey, that's a giant dinosaur"

"And I thought Batman was the detective" Alfred said plainly as Flint smirked at the Butler's joke.

"We were just speculating why the Thanagarians are really here" J'onn said to bring the new arrivals up to speed.

"Obviously not to protect us" Superman states.

"But if the Gordanians aren't anywhere near Earth" Wonder Woman started, "why do they need to build that force field?"

"If it is a force field" Batman states, his famous cowl now back on.

"I can tell you what it is"

The owner of the new voice, Shayera Hol traitor to the Justice League, stepped from the shadows as the seven got into battle stances.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here" Clark says menacingly as he removed his glasses.

"We should thank you. It saves us the trouble of hunting you down" Wonder Woman added.

Shayera meanwhile put her hands up in surrender. "I didn't come to fight. I came to help."

"Hawk people all over the planet? Martial law? I don't think we need any more of your help" Flash said as he crossed his arms.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't grab your wings and make a wish" Flint added as Shayera stepped forwards slowly.

"They're building a hyperspace bypass. When it's active, it'll destroy the planet and everyone on it" She says plainly before handing Batman a disk with the schematics. "This has all the information on the project. Believe me; I didn't know the magnitude of Talak's plan" She says in her defence amidst the glares.

"We'll check it out. There's the door" Batman said bluntly as he took the disk from her. Shayera meanwhile, walked away calmly, ignoring the others as they avoided eye contact with her. Sandman however, watched her carefully. He didn't trust her to not backstab his new friends. Friends… Were they even his friends? He did however notice Shayera give John a ring before leaving.

"What's the ring do?" Flint asked as John smirked in response, putting the ring on before floating a few feet off of the ground.

"Okay, that's pretty sweet" Flint admits before turning back to the Batcomputer.

Playing on the screen was a simulation of the bypass in action. They watched as the simulation's Earth was consumed by a white crackling light as the bypass activated.

"Ingenious" Batman muttered absent mindedly.

"Yeah I'm impressed. Let's go wreck it" Superman says as he takes off his glasses again, getting in costume.

"The bypass is too dangerous to have a crew maintaining the force-field that protects it on site" Batman says as he types away at his keyboard. "They must be keeping the device powering the force-field on the command ship over Mongolia" he continues as he finishes typing. After he did so, an image of the Thanagarian flagship was brought up, and he highlighted a particular section of it. He then turns to the League before standing up. "Go shut it down. I'll take care of the bypass".

"That thing's the size of a city. What are you gonna do? Throw a batarang at it?" Flash asks skeptically.

"Something like that" Batman replies before looking to the computer screen. "Proximity sensors were just triggered. Suit up"

The heroes all quickly returned to their costumes as Sandman formed his hands into mallets. They all looked to the entrance briefly before getting into position among the shadows of the cave to ambush the intruders.

Just as they hid, the doors to that lead back into Wayne manor exploded inwards as several heavily armed Thanagarian soldiers stormed into the cave. "Spread out" the leader said. "They're hiding somewhere in here"

Just as he said that, a green blade sliced through their only cannons, destroying them.

"Who's hiding bird brain?" Sandman quips with a smirk as he knocks two Thanagarians back with a swing of his mallets.

"Come and get some" Green Lantern said as he took off in a flash of emerald light, dodging the Thanagarian's attacks as he fired beams of energy down at them before they could retaliate.

Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter worked in tandem with her lasso to knock them out in droves as Flash ran through as many as he could with his super speed. One Thanagarian attempted to aim a pistol at the speedster but soon cried out in pain as Superman crushed both his hand and the pistol he was holding. "Let's use our inside voice, shall we?" He remarked before punching the Thanagarian into a wall.

Sandman then knocked two towards the Flash who spun a small tornado with his hands to knock them into the giant penny Bruce kept in the batcave. The penny then promptly fell over onto the two of them, knocking them out cold. "Tails. I win" Flash jokes

After a few more brief minutes of fighting, the amassed heroes had defeated their foes and walked out of the batcave and back into Wayne Manor. Alfred was calmly sweeping up the debris from what remained of the front windows off of the floor. "Mind the glass sir" He warned calmly as the heroes walked outside.

As soon as they were outside, Batman turned to address Green Lantern. "I want you, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Sandman to go to the command ship and shut down the force field."

"And the rest of us?" J'onn asked

"You're gonna help me retake the watchtower" Batman states. Sandman nods, remembering Flash mention something about the league having an orbiting Space Station.

"It's crawling with Thanagarian soldiers. How're you planning on getting inside?" Flash asked skeptically.

"With that" Batman replied bluntly as he pointed to the ship that the Thanagarians had arrived in. The assembled members all nodded before they split up into their respective groups to complete their missions.

* * *

Batman sat in the cockpit of the ship as Flash and J'onn examined the controls. Once they finished Batman turned to face Martian Manhunter. "Well?"

"I have no idea how to fly this vessel" the martian replied.

"What does this button do?" Flash asks before pressing a button on the console, causing a beam of energy to fire out from the ship which makes a large hole in the side of Bruce's mansion.

"That's. Not. Helping" Batman seethed, mere inches from Flash's face.

J'onn however, had a sudden idea. "I need one of the hawk-men"

Batman and Flash nodded before going outside and dragging an unconscious Thanagarian inside the ship. The Thanagarian's name was Kregor, and he happened to be one of Hro Talak's chief advisors. Kregor, however, sneered at them. "You think I'll tell you anything? I'd sooner choke on your bones"

Flash smirked in response as he cracked his knuckles. "Fine by me. Can I start with these?" He says before J'onn holds his fist back.

"We're running out of time. I'll take the information from him"

"I thought you couldn't read their minds" Flash said curiously.

J'onn merely grasped Kregor's head tight as his eyes glowed orange. "I'll just have to try harder" He announced in a dangerous tone as he began to probe Kregor's mind.

While Batman and Flash could not see what J'onn had to go through in Kregor's mind the stress that was placed on J'onn was suddenly evident as he received several physical injuries to match the mental strain that his efforts put on him. His cape was shredded to ribbons and various wounds appeared all over his body before he finally released Kregor, causing the Thanagarian to fall limply to the floor.

"I… I have what we need" The Martian said breathlessly as he panted in exhaustion. It was clear that he put a great deal of effort into obtaining the necessary information.

After unceremoniously dumping Kregor on the ground outside, the shuttle took off towards the Watchtower. Alfred had since walked outside to continue his cleanup, and saw Kregor lying limply on the ground. With his blank, expressionless face and slick of drool in the corner of his mouth, it was safe to say that J'onn's attack had left the Thanagarian comatose. Alfred snorted indignantly as he saw Kregor's form. "I'll have to ask Master Bruce not to leave trash in the yard".

Early into the flight, J'onn assumed Kregor's form and as they approached the Watchtower he began sending a transmission to the tower. "Shuttle Epsilon-Sixteen, requesting entry" J'onn said, imitating the Thanagarian's voice perfectly.

After a brief moment of silence a response came through. "Docking code confirmed. You are clear to come aboard" a voice replied as the Watchtower's docking bay opened its doors for the shuttle.

Once landed inside, J'onn walked down the ramp of the shuttle, still in disguise as several Thanagarian's approached him.

"We weren't expecting you sir" One Thanagarian remarked in surprise as he watched "Kregor" descend into view.

"There's been a change of plans" J'onn replies as he suddenly shifts into a large monster and knocked the guards aside. Several more Thanagarians charged into the room but were summarily beaten by the combined might of Batman and Flash joining the fray alongside their Martian friend.

* * *

In the skies above the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, the other four heroes were approaching the flagship of the Thanagarian fleet. Inside were the controls to the force field generator that protected the hyperspace bypass. Wonder Woman took the lead position as Green Lantern and Superman took up the rear, with Lantern carrying Flint in a bubble his ring generated. However, their approach did not go entirely unnoticed as a fleet of Thanagarian ships began to swarm towards them.

"Pretty bad odds" Wonder Woman commented bluntly.

"For them. Not so much us" Flint replies as he looks to Green Lantern. "John, drop me into the desert. I'll take care of them"

"Are you crazy?" The Lantern replies as Flint nods.

"Just trust me" he says with a smile before Lantern begrudgingly removes the bubble, dropping Flint into the sand below. Superman and Wonder Woman watched in horror as they saw their new-found ally plummet to the ground, only to see him transform back into a cloud of sand. Once his cloud had reached the ground, he quickly formed with the desert itself before becoming a towering behemoth of sand and rock, and charging the oncoming ships, knocking a majority away with his bulk.

"Hera" Wonder Woman said in awe as she and her fellow Leaguers watched Sandman cut swathes through the fleet, giving them access to the flagship.

"Go on inside, I'll follow you when I'm done" Flint calls in a deep booming voice as the three Leaguers nod before Superman used his heat vision to open a hole in the ship and the three of them flew inside.

* * *

After a few short minutes Batman, Flash, and Martian Manhunter had defeated all of the Thanagarians on the watch tower, and were now standing over the bodies of the last of them.

"Okay the watchtower is ours again. Now where's your secret weapon?" Flash asked Batman as he watched the cape crusader type furiously into the keyboard.

"You're standing in it"

"Wait… You mean we're gonna…"

"Take the Watchtower out of orbit and drop it on top of their little science project" Batman finishes as he looks at J'onn and the shell shocked Flash. "Get them into escape pods"

The engines on the watchtower quickly locked onto the coordinates of the bypass as the three heroes rounded up every Thanagarian on the station. Once Flash had used his speed to retrieve the last of them, he and J'onn walked with Batman to the remaining pod.

"Are these the last of them?" J'onn asks.

"Yep" Flash responds with a satisfied smile. "The tower is completely pest free"

"Good" Batman said in a resigned tone as he pressed the launch button to the pod, leaving himself behind as he launched Flash and J'onn to safety.

"What are you doing?!" J'onn demanded in a panicked tone as he and Flash crowded around the communicator.

"I can't risk having the watchtower burn up on re-entry. I'll have to guide it in manually" he says before pausing. Then he gave the smallest of smiles. "Gentlemen, it's been an honour"

Flash and J'onn simply bowed their heads in response knowing the fate Batman resigned himself to; the caped crusader had just sacrificed himself for the world.

* * *

Once inside the ship, Superman and Wonder Woman split off from John. John had gone on a blasting spree through the lower decks of the ship, swiftly striking any and all Thanagarians that got in his way as he searched for the control room. However, his little jaunt was not going unnoticed. Through the security cameras, Hro Talak watched Green Lantern from the bridge of the ship. He gritted his teeth as he watched. He had stolen the heart of Shayera Hol, which in turn lead her to warning the Justice League of Talak's plans and her returning the ring to him. That treason ensured that she was trapped in the brig of the ship. However, once he saw where the Lantern was heading, he truly began to see red.

"Intruder alert! All security teams to engineering!" A deck officer cried into a communicator Talak turned around quickly.

"Belay that! Green Lantern is _mine_!" He seethed before striding to the door, his battle axe gripped tightly in his hand.

Once he had left the bridge, the cameras then showed Sandman sneaking on board the ship and rendezvousing with Wonder Woman and Superman. "I'm heading outside to keep the heat off us. Keep working towards the controls" the Man of Steel said before flying out as Sandman and Wonder Woman observed the branching hallways in front of them.

"You ready?" Wonder Woman asked confidently as Sandman formed his trusty mallets again.

"You bet. How about you go left and I go right? Most birds beaten is the winner" he smirks as the Amazon laughs.

"You're on" She said in reply before giving a battle cry and charging down her hallway with her sword in hand.

"Man I wish cap was here for this but… Avengers Assemble!" Sandman cried as he quickly ran down the other hall.

The Thanagarians in their way stood no chance.

* * *

While the Thanagarians were fierce opponents in their own right, Wonder Woman was still finding little trouble in defeating them, even if they outnumbered her by as many as eight to one. As she stormed into the brig of the ship, she found that only one cell was occupied. Beyond the bars and energy field of the cell door, Shayera Hol sat inside, her head hung low in a mixture of resignation, remorse, and defeat. Despite their once close friendship, Shayera's betrayal had shattered everything they once held dear, as she betrayed them to the Thanagarians. Amazons didn't take kindly to traitors.

"I should leave you to burn" The Amazon growled, her voice dripping with hatred and malice. Then, she raised her sword and slashed through the controls to the cell, freeing Shayera as the bars withdrew into the wall, and the barrier shimmered before disappearing, As quickly as she entered, Wonder Woman left, and Shayera slowly stepped out and grabbed a fallen mace. After a few brief seconds of hesitation, she flew off towards the shield controls.

"Time to make this right" she thinks to herself.

* * *

Destroying the force field controls was not as easy as Green Lantern had anticipated it would have been. He expected to see resistance, and he had expected it to be guarded. However, what he had not expected was Hro Talak himself, guarding it personally. They quickly exchanged blows, one after the other, Lantern's ring blasts being easily deflected and destroyed by Talak's battle Axe.

Talak glared darkly at the Lantern as they forced their own weapons in a deadlock against each other. "This won't be like the last time you took something that belonged to me" He seethed, referring to Shayera, and how she and John had fallen in love while she was on Earth.

Lantern's eyes narrowed in response. Shayera may have betrayed them and the Earth, but he still loved her. And he would not stand to hear her being spoken of as if she were a trophy to be won. "Anything I took was freely offered to me. Maybe you should take better care of your stuff" John retorted before jumping back and firing several successive blasts, then creating a shield to stop Talak's axe from striking him as the Thanagarian general attacked him without mercy. The shield however, would not stand up to much more abuse, and so John attempted to dodge blows instead of countering them. Talak managed to get one lucky shot in, knocking John into some machinery, which promptly detonated, injuring the Green Lantern further.

Talak stalked over, smirking triumphantly at the fallen hero before grasping him by the throat and lifting him into the air. "I've beaten you little man. Any last words?" He asked, axe poised to kill John at a moment's notice.

John gathered the last of his strength as his ring glowed. "Yeah; you can kiss my axe!" He shouts before putting his energy into an axe and swinging it at Talak. The warriors exchanged blows, each attempting to overpower the other.

* * *

Flint was gaining headway as he continued down the hall. The Thanagarians weren't that much of a physical threat to him. Most of their weapons fell through his sand. And those that didn't could be easily taken out or dodged. He was briefly taken out of his concentration however, when a few Thanagarian soldiers were knocked past him from the hallway just ahead. He smiled and walked forwards, expecting to see Diana, but was surprised to see another Thanagarian fighting her brethren.

He snapped out of his shock quickly as he recognized her. "Hey wait, you're Shayera aren't you?" He asks, as she turns to face him.

"Yeah… That's me" She says simply as Flint nods.

"What the hell are you doing? I thought you were with them"

"No, not after I saw what they were doing. What Hro was planning to do, it was too much." She says sadly as she looks to the borrowed mace she was using. "I want to help, to atone for what I've done. I might not be able to repair all the damage I caused, but I'd like to start here."

"If you're gonna help, lead me to the force field controls. John went on ahead but he might need some help"

"Right" She says before starting ahead. However, Flint grabbed her arm before she got far.

"If you even think about backstabbing me..." He starts as his hands forms a mace "You'd better hope you kill me quickly" Flint says darkly as she nods in understanding, and leads him down to the controls.

Mere minutes after they started off, Flint and Shayera arrived at the doors to the control room. After a few solid hits from Flint's mallets, they opened the door to see Hro Talak beating John senseless. Hro gave one last swing of his axe, shattering the Lantern's arm with the flat of it, as John cried out in pain. Talak then delivered an uppercut that sent John across the room, but before he could make the killing blow Shayera stepped forwards.

"Hro enough!" She called as he turned his attention to Flint, and then to Shayera, who continued to walk towards him. "The fight's over. You're a soldier, not a murderer" She says softly as Hro paused. Then, without warning, he delivered a vicious backhand, knocking her next to John.

"I was a fool for ever loving you!" He shouted before Flint growled and launched forwards, striking him with his mace hand.

"Alright chicken wing, you've had your fun. Now prepare to get beat!" Sandman shouts before swarming Hro as a cloud of dust. As the cloud swirled around Hro, Flint would randomly reform his arms into mallets before striking quickly, and disappearing back into the cloud.

Hro grunted in frustration as he flailed uselessly at the dust cloud, attempting in vain to hit Sandman.

"I've got him busy, shut down the controls!" Flint calls out as he continued his relentless assault on the Thanagarian commander.

Shayera slowly helped John to his feet before they both nodded to Flint. It was time to put a stop to the Thanagarian's plan, once and for all.

* * *

The Watchtower was finally entering into the Earth's atmosphere, and Batman was struggling to ensure that the massive space station stayed on course as it approached the bypass thousands of feet below. He activated the comlink before returning to his steering. "Superman, we're cutting it a little close" he grunts as he avoids pieces of the station crumbling around him on the re-entry. "Have you disabled the force field?"

After a minute, Superman answered the caped crusader, finally having found an opening to talk as he destroyed another Thanagarian ship with his heat vision. "Not yet. Where are you?"

"I'm on the Watchtower. Guiding it to target" Batman states simply as he continues to steer it with some effort.

Superman immediately blanched at the news. "That's insane! Get out of there!" He replied in a shocked tone, worried for his friend's safety.

"Negative. I'm staying" Batman replied to him before the re-entry caused too much interference for them to keep the communications open.

"Batman!" the Man of Steel shouted before rocketing off to the approaching Watchtower, desperate to reach his friend before it was too late.

* * *

Talak panted in fatigue as he continued to swipe at the cloud uselessly, vainly attempting to injure the sand based hero. The only thing that infuriated him more than how he couldn't hurt this hero, was that the hero refused to do any serious damage. Did he think that the great general Hro Talak was simply not worth his time? The sheer impudence infuriated him. To his relief the cloud died down, and Flint reformed to his normal body.

"Not going to kill me? Are you too scared to bloody your hands?" Hro taunts as Flint shakes his head.

"No, I'm not too scared. It would just be too easy. Besides, I'm a hero. Killing isn't my thing. Never was" he states before forming a mace and giving the Thanagarian one good smack over the head. The combination of fatigue and this final blow sent the mighty Hro Talak down on the floor, completely unconscious.

Flint smiled slightly at his handy work before turning to John and Shayera. "Any luck over there?" he asks as the two heroes nodded, pulling the lever down and deactivating the field.

"There, it's over" John says, panting hard as Shayera continued to support him as he stood.

* * *

Flaming wreckage of the watchtower plummeted to earth as the Watchtower itself, little more than a burning husk of its former self continued its rapid descent. Inside, Batman forced himself to stay conscious as the Watchtower was in the final leg of its approach to the bypass. The computer, which had survived the flames of re-entry and remained operational showed that the trajectory of the station was invariably going to strike its intended target head on.

Once the final resting place of the station was guaranteed, Batman finally allowed himself to ease and fall back into unconsciousness. Fortunately for him, Superman burst into the station and quickly grabbed his ally before exiting the station at the last possible second as it struck the bypass, producing a massive crater, several kilometers across.

At the sound of the detonation, Batman opened his eyes slowly before looking at the man of steel. "Always have to be the hero, don'tcha?" He quips with a small smirk as Superman chuckles.

"Right back at you" He quips back tiredly.

* * *

From the control room aboard the flagship, Sandman watched the Justice League's station strike the bypass, detonating both structures entirely. John and Shayera give a tired smile before Shayera sighs and looks down.

'She betrayed her entire race to save the world…' Flint thinks to himself as he frowns before walking over to her and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Before he can say anything however, they were interrupted by several Thanagarians storming the control room.

Flint jumped into a defensive position as the other two gave their best attempt to join him, their fatigue clearly hampering them for the approaching battle.

However, before they could charge, a door on the opposite side of the room burst open and several battle damaged Thanagarians collapsed on the floor. Then, following her downed opponents was a bruised, yet unbroken Wonder Woman who gave a battle cry fueled by adrenaline and rage.

"Who's next?" She cried as she drew her sword again, and the Thanagarian soldiers quickly moved to attack her. Hro, however, stood up and halted their approach immediately.

"Stand down. Lower your weapons" He says in a defeated tone as he clutched his bruised ribs, the soldiers quickly obeying his orders as they lowered their own weapons.

"Commander?" One asked in confusion as Hro sighed.

"Our mission is a failure. There is no more reason to fight. Let them continue" He laments as Thanagarian and hero alike watch him incredulously. Hro looks to Shayera before scowling. "I hope you're proud of yourself. It'll take years for us to rebuild elsewhere"

"Then you'd better get started" Shayera said bluntly and in an unflinching tone as she stared down the Thanagarian general. Then, she helped John out of the room as Wonder Woman and Sandman followed close behind. No one made any move to stop them.

* * *

After the remaining Thanagarians had retreated and vacated the planet, the Justice League reconvened back at Wayne Manor with Shayera in tow. After a brisk night's sleep, the six founders of the League went into a dining room to hold a meeting as Flint and Shayera waited outside on a couch. Since Shayera had betrayed them, she had been dismissed from engaging in any important League functions, and Flint wasn't an actual League member so he was politely asked to wait outside. In order to pass the time, the two started channel surfing on one of the many large TVs in Wayne Manor. Every channel was showing the same footage of how Sandman and the Justice League had defeated the Thanagarians, and after a few hours it began to grade on their patience.

After a few more minutes, Shayera turned it off and sighed as she shifted uncomfortably and looked down at her feet. "They've been in there for a while huh?"

"Yeah, they have. Maybe it's just taking them a while to reach a decision" Flint shrugs, referring to how the league was discussing Shayera's fate after she had betrayed them, and then had change of heart to help them.

Shayera sighed as she leaned back on the couch and readjusted her shirt for what seemed like the millionth time that day. Since her regular clothes had been destroyed along with the watchtower, Bruce had given her some temporary, albeit ill-fitting, clothes. As such she was now wearing jeans and a white t-shirt with two holes cut away on the back to let her wings out.

"Listen, I know you're worried about what their decision will be, but you gotta have faith in them" Flint says as he looks to Shayera with a small, yet confident smile. "If y they really are your friends, they'll forgive you"

"Forgive me?" She scoffs. "After what I've done?"

"Yeah. Believe me, I know what this situation is like firsthand"

"How so?" Shayera asks, suddenly intrigued.

"Well" Flint starts as he turns to face her. "I used to be a criminal. And a damn good one. I had stolen countless millions in money and jewels, and battled many heroes, quite well in fact. But, I never hurt anyone. At least, not too badly. I never wanted to kill, it wasn't who I was. In fact I was never sure of who I was while I was a criminal. I stole to provide for my daughter, I thought I was doing the right thing for her. But the guilt kept eating away at me."

Shayera said nothing but continued to listen intently.

"After a while, I decided to make a change. I contacted the Avengers, who are basically the Justice League of my world. Yeah, I'm not from this world" he admits, as Shayera's eyes widened at these revelations. "After I did, I started to make amends. Little things at first, but afterwards I received my pardon. Countless crimes and yet they still forgave me. And I was a hero."

"Even after all you'd done? Fighting them countless times, and stealing who knows how much, they forgave you?"

"Yeah, I mean it took a lot of time and dedication. And I had to work really damn hard to earn their trust to even be considered for a pardon, but in the end I got it. From what I've seen of the League, I know that they'll forgive you."

Shayera nodded but still looked unsure as she returned to looking at the floor.

"Hey" He says before putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Even if they don't believe you're a hero, to me you're a pretty darn good one"

Shayera smiled softly in response, seeing both Flint and Alfred give her reassuring smiles, making feel at least a little better.

* * *

Inside the meeting, despite the time they had spent conversing and looking over the issue at hand, they were no closer to a decision than they were when they started earlier that morning. Wonder Woman in particular had been spending most of her time in the debate yelling blindly about Shayera's betrayal. In fact, she had begun to over her own points multiple times. "She exploited our weaknesses, betrayed us…" She continued to rant as Flash put up his hands to get her to stop.

"Come on, she was in the ultimate no-win situation; but when push came to shove, she came through for us, just like always" Flash said in her defense, wanting to stick up for his friend no matter what.

J'onn nodded in agreement as he addressed the others. "She is a pariah to her people now. We are all she has left"

"Believe me J'onn, I feel for her" Superman says before shaking his head slowly and looking down. "But after everything that's happened, I honestly don't know if I can ever completely trust her again" he admits sadly.

Green Lantern shook his head, having not uttered a word since their discussion began, his right arm in a cast after his battle with Hro.

"We're arguing in circles" Batman said plainly before commanding their attention. "It's time to take a vote"

* * *

"Excuse me Miss Hol" Alfred says kindly as he enters the room. "They've sent for you" He tells her as she stands and nods, while Flint stands next to her.

"Thank you Alfred" she replies as the aging butler nods and leaves. Then she turns to Flint before hugging him. "Thanks for the pep talk"

"No problem. I hope everything works out for you" He says as she nods and walks towards the dining room. She grabbed the handle and hesitates slightly, before finally entering and addressing the League.

All six members of the League were standing in a line, shoulder to shoulder as they all looked to her with their own expressions and feelings towards the situation at hand.

Superman clears his throat and steps forwards. "Hawkgirl…" he began as she raised her hand to cut him off mid-sentence.

"Before you start, I have something to say" she starts before taking a breath to continue. "I came to this planet as a patriot. I had a mission and I carried it out. What I couldn't know was that I would come to care for the Earth, and her people." As she spoke, she looked at each of the League members. Wonder Woman shot her a look of contempt as Batman simply narrowed his eyes. Not all of them gave her such harsh looks, however. Green Lantern's eyes softened before he looked away. "That I'd come to care for all of you." She stops to swallow a lump in her throat before continuing. "I've spent the last five years torn between my feelings and my duty. I won't ask you to do the same" She says, regaining her nerve slightly as she stood up straight. "Therefore I am resigning from the Justice League. Effective immediately"

With that, she turns and walks to the door, leaving her ex-teammates behind, stunned expressions on their faces. Flash regained his composure the fastest before rushing forwards and hugging her gently. She returned it before slowly letting go and leaving the room, not once looking back as she went outside.

"Great" Flash sighed as his arms drooped to his sides. "No Hawkgirl, no Javelin, no Watchtower. What's gonna happen to the League now? Do we just all walk away?"

"No" J'onn said as he shakes his head. "We rebuild. Starting today."

"J'onn's right. Earth still needs us, and we'll never let her down. It's our duty" Superman agrees as he turns to the others.

* * *

Flint watched Shayera walk out as he sighs and looks down at his feet. He may have known Shayera for the least amount of time out of everyone in the League, but he still thought well of her. He didn't want her to just up and leave everything, but if she did need to leave, he wasn't going to stop her. "Good luck" he calls to her as she stops in her tracks briefly, before regarding him. After giving him a brief smile, she continues walking out of the mansion.

Before Flint can even sit down again, Alfred approaches him and puts a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Excuse me sir, but they're ready for you now" He says as Flint nods.

"Thanks Al" He says before walking into the dining room where the League was waiting for him.

* * *

After leaving the mansion, Shayera had walked over to the cliffside and was looking out over the ocean, her arms folded across her chest as she held them close to her body. As she gazed out at the water, she heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

You never asked how we voted" John says in a quiet voice as he looks at her sadly.

She turns to look at him, opening her mouth before closing it and looking down at the ground. Then she shook her head gently. "It doesn't matter"

"So… Where're you gonna go?" John asks as he steps forwards slowly.

"I don't know" She shrugs before looking back up at him. "Somewhere where the fate of the world isn't in my hands. Some place where there are no more secrets. No more lies"

"Was it all a lie?" He asked sadly as she walked up to him, placing a gentle hand on his cheek.

"I love you John. I never lied about that" she said, giving him a sad smile as she stared into his eyes. After a moment, she removed her hand from his face before turning back around and opening her wings as she flew off into the sunset.

John watched her leave, his eyes rising and falling with each beat of her wings until she was too far on the horizon to see. Then, once she was gone, he finally released the tears that he had kept inside up until that moment.

"I love you too" he whispered softly.

* * *

 **And there it is! Chapter One of my newest Fan-Fiction! As for why I chose Sandman, I liked the idea of him becoming a hero and joining the Avengers. Damn the Wizard for ruining that! And even now after Axis he still has some heroic tendencies in him. Maybe he'll become a hero again for real someday.**

 **Anyways, be sure to read and review!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	2. Adjustment Part 1

**Alright, time for chapter 2! Sorry for the long wait, but school finally decided to catch up to me. I would just like to say thank you for the overwhelming positive response on this story, It's already my most viewed story, far above the quality of my previous ones, and it's only one chapter in. I hope to have the next few chapters on a more regular upload schedule at least.**

 **This chapter is a little shorter than the last one (About 50% shorter) but that's mostly because I'm going to be jamming the next couple of chapters with all the classic Justice League action that you've come to love!**

 **The Justice League and all related characters are owned my DC, Sandman and any related Avengers characters are all owned by Marvel. I only own this fic**

* * *

After reluctantly watching Shayera leave, Flint had entered into the dining hall where the remaining members of the League had returned to their seats around the table; John however was noticeably absent.

'Probably going to look for Shayera before she leaves' he thinks to himself, before being called out of his own thoughts as Superman clears his throat.

"First of all Flint, we'd like to thank you for all your help. Without your assistance, I don't know what we would have done" The man of steel began as Flint gave a small smile in return.

"Hey, it was no trouble at all" He shrugs as Superman smiles in return.

"However, there are a few questions we have to ask of you, if you wouldn't mind answering"

"Of course. Ask away" He says simply as he takes a seat across the table from where Superman was.

"First we would like to know how you managed to get on the prison ship. Secondly, we'd like to why we have never heard of you before. We're aware of several heroes and their activities all over the globe, so the way you've managed to stay under the radar for so long has us fairly puzzled" Clark asked with a curious glance as the others aside from Flash, who knew the whole truth, nodded in agreement.

"Well, to answer your first question, I snuck through an opening in the side. They weren't exactly worried about a cloud of dust getting inside" Flint shrugs. "As for the other question, would you mind if I sat down? That might take a while"

Batman gave a hard, questioning stare as Superman gestured to a chair across from him on the table.

Once seated, Flint cleared his throat. "Now, I gave the full story to Flash already, but here it goes" He starts as the League watches him carefully. He took a short breath before dropping a major bombshell on them. "I came from another universe"

* * *

To say that the League was shocked was an understatement. Everyone except for Flash was very visibly shocked by the sudden revelation. Even Batman's eyes were wider than usual, though not by much.

"Yeah that's about the reaction I expected. Now, as for how, I ain't a genius when it comes to tech, but a villain from my world named the Wizard had built a device that he intended to use on the Avengers. The Avengers are basically my world's version of the Justice League" he explains before taking a short breath and continuing. "Anyways, before he could use it I destroyed the device. When I did, something happened and I got hit with a wave of energy, sending me here. And instead of getting rid of the Avengers, he got rid of me. I gave him a good slug before I left though" Flint mused as the League was finally starting to regain their former composure.

"Well, that certainly answers that question" Clark stated bluntly before leaning forwards slightly in interest. "Now, tell us more about your powers. What exactly can you do? And how did you get them?"

"Well you've seen most of them already. The turning to dust, making giant hammers, fusing with other sand. That's the main stuff. In terms of strength, I've never tested it completely but I've heard from the Avengers that I can lift about eighty tons **(AN: Canon. He can in fact lift about 85 tons)**. I can also turn my sand into glass if I focus hard enough" He adds, before looking to Flash briefly. After getting a nod of reassurance he looked down and took a breath. 'Better get it out of the way now. Alright, here it goes' he thinks to himself before looking up. "As for how I got 'em, I was caught up in a scientific experiment while escaping the police"

"Escaping the police? So you're a criminal then?" Superman asks warily as Bruce gives him what Flint would soon come to know as one of the signature bat-glares.

"Reformed criminal, but yeah. I was" Flint sighs as he looks down. "I might as well give you the full story then"

"It might help to shed some light on a few things" Superman adds with a small smile as Batman continues to glare at him suspiciously.

'Well, here goes nothing' Flint thinks to himself before he took another breath. "My daughter was sick. Very sick. And my home wasn't exactly very wealthy to begin with. Adding on the fact that my wife wanted nothing to do with me and it made it very hard for me to even begin trying to help. When she ended up needing treatment, I turned to crime in order to earn the money to help her. It just so happened that one of these times I was chased into a nuclear experiment in progress. It somehow merged my body with the sand of the beach and I earned my powers."

All five of the league members in the room listened intently; even the Flash who had already heard the whole story the day before hung on Flint's every word as though he was hearing it for the first time.

"After I got my powers, I kept on doing the same. Except this time I was fighting the various heroes in my city. I always got caught too. After I got caught for the first time though, my daughter finally saw what I become, and where I got the money to treat her. She was disgusted. Only twelve years old and she wanted nothing to do with me" he continued, the hurt very evident in his eyes as he spoke.

"That was what started me going down the straight and narrow. After this I still was a criminal but I was wracked with guilt every time. Eventually, I said that enough was enough. I started making amends, little things at first, but they added up. Teaming up with the heroes I formerly fought, saving lives where I went, fighting criminals I used to work with stuff like that. Eventually I was given a presidential pardon for my efforts and I was allowed to join the Avengers. I did some more hero stuff after that, until he caught up with me"

"Until who caught up with you?" Wonder Woman asked.

"The Wizard. The guy who sent me here. While I was a hero, he caught me and then he messed with my head. In short, he brainwashed me back into being a villain. What's more than that, he basically made me his weapon. Until now. After his control broke I was just biding my time until I could turn against him. Until I could be a hero again. Once I did, I was sent here, and now you're all caught up to where I stand today"

"How are we so sure you're still a hero? Or if you can even be trusted" Batman interjected pointedly to the disdain of the League"

"Come on Bats! He told you he reformed, and he saved our butts! If it weren't for him we would still be on that ship and the Earth would be gone!" Flash argues.

"The Flash is correct. If it weren't for him we probably would not have succeeded" J'onn adds.

"Hey, it's alright. No use jumping down the Bats' throat. If you need proof here it is; with great power, comes great responsibility. If you ever question why I want to do good and be a hero, there it is" Flint says in his defence as the League reflect on his words.

"Well? Are we still clear on our decision?" Superman asks as the other members nod. Even the brooding Batman nodded slowly.

"Wait? Decision? What's going on?" Sandman asks in confusion, unsure of their intentions.

At this Superman stands and walks over to him, smiling as he went. "Well Flint, in response to your actions yesterday, as well as your ensured intent to do what's right, it is my honour to officially extend to you an invitation to the Justice League"

"No way, you want me to join the Justice League? For real?" Flint asks in surprise as Superman nods.

"Of course we do. You have more than proven yourself worthy enough as a hero to officially become a member. Do you accept?" he asks hopefully, extending his hands as Flint grins.

"You bet I do!" Flint says enthusiastically as he shakes his hand.

"Then, welcome aboard" Superman says as Batman clears his throat.

"With that settled, it's time we decide on a few more things. Namely, where you're going to reside until the Watchtower is repaired"

"Actually, I was hoping to stay in Gotham for a bit if you wouldn't mind" Flint asks, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I can just stay in a hotel until I can find a more suitable place to live"

Batman thought on this for a moment before nodding. "That would be best. I can give some financial resources to accommodate you while you're there. And if you'd like you can fight crime during your stay as long as you stay out of my way"

Flint chuckled a little as he nodded. "Whatever you say bats"

Batman narrowed his eyes slightly before nodding. "Enjoy your stay in Gotham" He says before standing. "In the meantime find some other clothes so you can at least begin to hide your identity. You don't want to be discovered"

"I think I can come up with something" Flint muses before he reverted into sand. When he reformed his appearance had changed. Now he looked to be wearing a white T-shirt with an opened blue flannel shirt over top. However, his corduroy pants stayed the same.

"It's a good start" Superman said in amazement, before coming up with an idea. "Try these on, I have dozens more at home" He says before handing Flint a pair of fake glasses to try on.

"Hey thanks" Flint smiles as he tries them on. "How do I look?" he asks as Flash grins and gives him a thumbs up.

"Like a real Clark Kent type" Flash jokes as Superman frowns a little.

"I think he looks perfectly disguised. Just don't go revealing your real name" Superman says as Flint nods. "No worries there. In the meantime, I guess I'll take a look around Gotham city"

"Before you go take this" Superman adds before handing him a small earpiece. "With this we can contact you whenever we need to"

"I'll contact you later with the location of your hotel. In the meantime here's a couple hundred dollars for whatever you need. Don't spend it all in one place"

Flint nods in understanding as he shakes the caped crusader's hand. After some good byes and congratulations from his new team mates, Flint bade them goodbye before heading out to explore Gotham city,

Once he was out of earshot, Superman and the others turned to their Martian comrade expectantly. "Well, can we trust him?" Bruce asks as the Martian's eyes glow briefly.

"He is telling the truth" J'onn says as the others breathe a sigh of relief that they had indeed picked the right candidate for the League.

"Now, it's time to start rebuilding" Batman said as the others nodded.

* * *

Once Flint stepped out of the room, he looked up to see Alfred approaching him with a smile on his face. "Congratulations Master Flint on your induction into the Justice League. The world needs more heroes like you" He says kindly as Flint blushes slightly at the praise.

"Heh, thanks Alfred. That really means a lot" Flint says in thanks as the aging butler nods kindly before walking back to the kitchen to resume his cleaning. After one last brief look around the mansion, Flint finally stepped outside before beginning his walk around the newly liberated Gotham City.

With the Thanagarians defeated, Gotham City was finally returning to business as usual. The streets were once again bustling with activity, and Flint smiled to himself as he walked around the busy cluttered streets.

'Now this feels more like home' he thought to himself as he takes in all the sights and sounds surrounding him in the city. One such sight was a dinner theatre, with large posters depicting a magician with long raven hair, and fishnet stockings.

"The Amazing Zatanna?" He muses as he takes a look at the attractive woman on the poster. "Never was a big fan of magic, but It might be worth checking it out just for her"

However, he was soon broken out of his thoughts by sound of a commotion at a nearby bank. "You can never catch a break as a hero can you?" he mutters in frustration before ducking into an alley to transform back into his hero garb.

* * *

"Alright, just put the money in the bag and nobody gets hurt!" A thug said as he aimed a gun at the bank teller, who quickly started doing as he said. Two other thugs kept their guns trained on the other people in the bank. They wanted to be in and out before any heroes could show up. Unfortunately for them, one did.

While they were distracted, Flint slipped into his sand form before bursting through the doors and knocking the first two thugs together, knocking them unconscious. "Alright bub, just put down the gun and walk away" Flint says as the thug looked at him in confusion.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" He asked trying to sound tough, as Flint smirked.

"Who me?" He asked coyly before springing forwards and knocking the thug into a wall with a mallet. "I'm the god damn Sandman!" He says triumphantly before dragging all three thugs together as the police showed up.

"Freeze! Hands where we can see them!" An officer said as Flint put his hands up in surrender before an older officer in a trench coat stepped forwards.

"Put down your weapons before we give him the wrong impression. We need more heroes in the world. The invasion proved that" He said tersely before walking up to Flint. "My name is Commissioner James Gordon. On behalf of this city I would like to thank you for all you've done for us." He says with a tired smile as Flint shakes his hand.

"It's no trouble at all. I'm more than happy to help" Flint shrugs as the thugs are quickly put in handcuffs and taken away by other officers.

"Well I hope you'll be staying here for at least a little longer. Gotham could always use an extra hand or two" Gordon says with a sigh as Flint nods.

"Don't worry. I intend to stick around, at least for the time being"

"Glad to hear it. Now if you'll excuse me I have to head back to the station. You take care"

With that final word, Gordon turned around before leaving with the rest of his officers, while Flint made his own escape before he could be hounded by the gathering crowd of reporters outside.

* * *

After a few more hours of walking around Gotham, Flint had finally received some word from the League in the form of a communication from Batman.

"Flint, do you copy?" the Dark knight asked as Sandman pressed a finger to the communicator in his ear.

"Yeah I copy. What's the situation Bats?"

"I have the location of the hotel you'll be staying at while you're in Gotham. I'm sending Flash down to escort you. He should be there any minute now"

As he said this a red blur came to a stop in front of Flint as Flash grinned. "So, you ready to see your new temporary home?" he asks as Flint nods.

"Yeah I am. Lead the way" he says eagerly, before Flash grabbed his arm and ran him to where his hotel was.

"Here we are! Your new temporary home!" Flash said as he stopped running, and stood in front of a large hotel while Flint struggled to regain his balance after having moved at that speed.

"Oh wow, isn't Bruce going a little overboard on spending with this?" Flint asks in surprise.

"No I'm not" Bruce said as his voice sounded through the communicator. "Once inside just walk up to the counter and state your name. The reservation was made in your name, so the hotel staff will handle the rest"

"Thanks Bruce"

"Don't mention it"

After that, Flint bid his goodbye to Wally before stepping inside and walking to the front desk.

The clerk looked up at Flint, giving him a curt smile. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I would like to receive the key to my room" Flint asks.

"I see. Your name?"

"Flint Marko"

"Oh, you're Bruce Wayne's guest" The clerk said, in sudden surprise before retrieving his room key. "Here you are Mr. Marko, your room is on the third floor"

Flint thanked the clerk before walking to the elevator. As he stepped in, a voice quickly called to him while the doors were closing.

"Hold that door!' A woman's voice called. Flint quickly turned around before catching the door and holding it open. A shorter woman with long raven hair stepped in quickly before adjusting the hat on her head. "Thanks" She responded before Flint let the doors close behind her.

"Hey, ain't you Zatanna?" He asked as she folded her arms with a smirk.

"Aren't you the Sandman?" She responded coyly as Flint's eyes widened. "Relax, Batman gave me the heads up"

"Batman? So you're a hero too?"

"Not all of my magic is smoke and parlour tricks. Some of the acts need a little extra flare" she replied, stressing the last word as brief magical energy circled her fingers.

Flint chuckled lightly as he extended a hand to her "Flint Marko"

"Zatanna Zatara" Zatanna replied as she shook his hand politely.

"So what are you doing here?" Flint asked as the elevator stopped and the doors opened on the third floor, both heroes stepping out.

"My house got totalled during the invasion, I'm just here while it's being repaired. Or until the Watchtower opens. Whichever comes first?"

"Watchtower? So you're in the league too?"

"Just got the invitation this afternoon." She says before stopping at her door. "Well it was nice talking to you. See you on the tower team mate"

"Yeah, see you around" Flint replies before continuing down to his own room as Zatanna closed the door behind her.

"Room 323, let's see what we got" Flint says to himself. As he opened the door, he looked inside on at the room and smiled to himself. It wasn't anything too fancy. Just a bed, TV, bathroom, and kitchenette. It wasn't glamorous but it was a massive step up from anything Flint had seen in years.

Flopping down on the bed, Flint stretched his body out before relaxing on the soft clean bedding, taking in the entirety of the room. "I could get used to this" he said with a contented sigh, before kicking off his shoes and easing off to sleep.

* * *

Worlds away from where the sleeping Sandman lay, a different hero was currently pacing inside a room of some of his closest allies. This man's name was Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, and he was currently watching various scientific geniuses attempt to figure out what had happened to Flint Marko.

This team consisted of the super geniuses Tony Stark, Reed Richards, Peter Parker, and Hank Pym. All top in their fields, and yet they were nowhere near finding the answer.

"Steve I know you're worried but we need more time to work on this" Tony said in a tired voice as he rubbed his eyes in fatigue.

"Tony I understand what you're saying but we might not have time. We don't know where Flint was sent, or when. His life could be in danger for all we know!" Steve argued, clearly worried.

"Cap I know you're worried, I'm worried about him too" Peter started. "But Flint can take care of himself. Besides, what are the odds that he would have ended up in a world under invasion?"

Steve stopped pacing and started at the floor for a moment. After a minute he looked up and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Flint can handle himself, and if what we saw yesterday was any indication, he's still an Avenger."

"You're damn right he's an Avenger, and he's gonna be just fine" Tony assures, standing to put a hand on Steve's shoulder before Reed clears his throat to get their attention.

"If I may interject here, I believe I have a solution to the problem presented" the scientist says as he removes the glasses that he had been wearing.

"What would that happen to be?" Tony asks, folding his arms expectantly.

"Well, it was the Wizard's technology that sent him away. Ergo I would like to put forward two potential solutions. First, I think that we should go and interrogate the Wizard. He is currently incarcerated in the Raft as we all know, and so I think that we logically should question him about the specifics of the technology, as well as any potential possibility of where Flint was sent. Second, should the Wizard refuse, or even if he does decide to co-operate with us, I propose that we should, after properly interrogating him, track down his laboratory and search for schematics to his inventions, in the hope that we at least find blueprints for the machine. If we succeed we can construct our own version of the device and make the appropriate alterations needed in order to open a door to wherever Flint is. One that we can open from both sides"

Steve and the others stared blankly at Reed who nervously coughed in response. "At least, in theory" he adds before Tony nods.

"Well at this point it's all we got. Steve take Peter and go to interrogate the Wizard. Take Logan too if you need the extra muscle to assist in convincing him. Hank and I can go to the lab in order to retrieve the appropriate schematics" Tony says as the others nod.

"There is one more issue that I would like to discuss before we proceed any further with this plan" Reed states as the others stop to look at him.

"I would like to request that after we complete the device with the proper specifications to find Flint, that the Fantastic Four are the ones to go into the other dimension. Spider-Man may join if he wishes but I still request that the Fantastic Four are the ones to make the journey"

"Why do you want the Fantastic Four to go?" Steve asks curiously.

"Well, the reason is thus; of all the heroes on Earth, the Fantastic Four have the most experience with travelling to other dimensions. I recommended Spider-Man as well because he has known Sandman longer than we have"

"Well, it makes sense to me. In any case, let's get to work. Reed you can stay and see what you can learn from the remaining pieces of the machine" Tony said before the others nodded and started to move out.

"I'll get right to it." Reed says before putting his glasses on and walking back to the table where the pieces of the Wizard's device were laid out.

While walking out of the room, Steve took Tony aside, a worried expression on his face. "Are you sure this plan is going to work Tony?"

"I don't know. But at this point, it's the best plan we have. If anything else, it's worth a shot. For Flint"

Steve nods in understanding. "For Flint"

* * *

Several worlds away, a soldier burst through the doors of a government facility, a sheet of paper clutched in his hand. "Ma'am we've finished the analysis of the sudden energy surge. It wasn't in no way related to the Thanagarian invasion.

"It wasn't? Then what was it?" A hard impassive voice said, the owner of the voice hidden by a large office chair that had its back turned to the door, a glass of brandy seen clenched in the figure's hand.

"It's unclear what the source of the energy was, but according to data gathered, it's connected to that new hero that freed the Justice League"

"The Sandman?"

"Yes ma'am" the soldier nodded as the chair spun around, revealing a serious looking African-American woman in a dark blue suit, her stone hard face matching her hardened voice perfectly.

"Continue the analysis, and continue monitoring the Justice League. I want surveillance put on this Sandman as well. I need to know any and all danger he poses" she says seriously as the soldier gives her a salute.

"Yes Ms. Waller"

* * *

 **Well there's the next chapter of Sandman Unlimited. It's a shorter chapter I know, but that;s mostly because I didn't feel like crowding any other chapters with massive amounts of expository information. In the meantime, I hope to have the next chapter up sooner than this one.**

 **Be sure to read and review!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	3. Initiation

**After my many month long hiatus I am finally back!**

 **Sorry about it taking so long but things just got in the way and then they sort of got more messed up as it went on. Graduation is fun, just busy!.**

 **Before we continue I have a few questions from reviews that I want to address here.**

 **shawn desai: I hand't really thought of using his green suit but I might consider it for the future, just not right away. I'd have to find some way to give it a modern update after all.**

 **Dion ComicWiz : Well to answer your questions quickly here, I might reference John and Flint looking for Shayera, but she won't be joining earlier than in canon. There will be several more original chapters as well, mostly involving Sandman and Zatanna (Because of the pairing) and the marvel characters. In fact, expect some more to show up soon. I will make a reference to the Titans at some point in the story, but they probably won't make an appearance, If they do, it will be based on the 2003 series. As for Galatea, it seems as though you've already figured out where I'll take her, although her ultimate change will be assisted by a certain Arachnid.**

 **Anyways, with that out of the way, on to the next chapter!**

* * *

It was a late night in Central City, and an uncommon sense of calm had descended over the city. Flint smiled at that as he entered in the front door of Wally West's apartment, holding a few grocery bags full of chips.

"Alright Wally, I got the food. Even managed to find a few boxes of Chocos, and you would not believe how hard it was to find those at this time of night" The newest member of the Justice League laughed as he entered into the kitchen where Wally was sitting alongside John, Clark and J'onn. John was now sporting a new look, opting to shave his head completely bald and grow out his beard.

"Hey, I might be the fastest man alive, but not even I would dare search the city for a few boxes of cookies" he jokes as J'onn happily took a box from Flint.

"Alright, well do we have everything at least?" Flint asks as Clark nods.

"Well you brought the food, Wally had the drinks, and I brought the cards. Now we can get down to business. John you're dealing" the man of steel says as Flint sits at the table with them.

"Alright, here's the rules. Texas hold 'em, two cards, five chip buy in" John explains before dealing out the cards to the others.

"So Flint, you ready for the big day tomorrow?" Clark asks as his newest friend nods.

"Eh, as ready as I'll ever be. I mean, big crowds aren't new to me, and neither is being introduced to a team of heroes" he muses before shrugging as he picks up his cards. "But I guess I'm still a little nervous about everything. I mean, other than Zatanna I haven't met any heroes outside of the League"

"Don't worry about that. We got a good group. You'll be meeting some great people for sure" Flash assures him.

"I'm just happy that with the Watchtower having been rebuilt, I can get a rent free place" Flint says with a smirk. "I mean, I know Bruce can afford it, but I don't want to be living off of his money forever"

"Careful there, you might wake up one morning and find out Bruce has given you a house in San Francisco or something" John jokes as the others chuckle.

"Alright, this conversation is fun and everything, but let's get serious. I'm all in" Clark says before putting all his chips in for the pot

"Ha, I fold" Wally says as he puts his hand down on the table.

"Same" Flint sighs as John nods in agreement, both following Wally's example.

"What about you J'onn?" Flash asks as the Martian looks at them all with a blank face. He finishes another cookie before shrugging.

"I have no idea how to play this game"

* * *

Flint stepped through the teleporter to the Watchtower early the next morning, Superman warping on alongside him as Flint took a cursory look around. "Nice set up" he remarked before stepping out into the hallway with the man of steel.

"Now, since we scheduled the meeting so early, expect there to be quite a few heroes already here" Superman said with a smile as Flint nodded.

"Hey, no worries there. I know how to act and what to say, just don't expect me to say much to people who I've never met before"

"True enough" Superman chuckles before approaching the door to the foyer.

"Oh yeah Clark, just one thing before we go in"

"Oh, what's that?"

"Next time we play poker, x-ray vision is off limits. If Flash can't run around to check our hands, you aren't allowed to either" he says seriously as Clark gives a guilty blush.

"Alright, fine" he relents before opening the door, revealing a whole multitude of colourful costumes and personalities all milling around the room and making introductions.

Flint looked around in awe at all the heroes assembled. Sure he had been a member of the Avengers, but the sheer number of assembled heroes was unreal.

"Impressed?" Superman smirks as Flint quickly regains his composure and nods confidently.

"You know it. If this is what the League is gonna look like, we might need a bigger tower" he quips eliciting a laugh from Clark before a red, white, and blue blur quickly slams into the man of steel.

"Hey cousin, how you been?" A feminine voice asks as Clark smiles broadly.

"Flint, I'd like to introduce my cousin. This is Kara Zor-El, or as she's also known, Supergirl" He says proudly as Flint shakes her hand. "Hey, nice to meet you" Flint says.

"Likewise. So, I heard you had save my cousin's sorry butt during the invasion" She asks with a smirk as Clark grumbles slightly.

"Yeah, and I heard you were under house arrest with your best friend the whole time" Flint remarks as she quickly blushes in embarrassment.

"No worries there, the invasion caught us all off guard" Flint assured her as Superman nodded. Aside from a select few heroes, Flint's real origins were kept on a need to know basis.

"Yeah, well it was nice meeting you" the blonde teenager says before flying back into the crowd as Flint looks back to Superman.

"I take it you're happy she's here. You were beaming quite a bit"

"She's a good kid, and I know she'll be a great hero one day. I think the League is what she needs in order to learn the responsibility and control she needs to become that hero." Superman says and Flint nods.

"Just let her in on those six words of mine. She might not get it the first time, but she will soon enough" Flint adds before looking around. "I think I'm gonna go mingle for a bit" He says as Superman nods.

"Alright, you enjoy yourself. I'm just gonna go talk to Bruce to make sure all of the preparations are complete" He says before flying off to where Batman was talking with John and Diana.

* * *

The next ten minutes were a blur of introductions and new faces, with Flint making more introductions in one day than he ever had in his whole life. Of all the people he met, there were some that stood out to him especially. One such person was the Question. The faceless Vigilante wore a trench coat and a wide brimmed fedora, but he was no joke. Before Flint could even introduce himself, the crazed detective had already relayed his knowledge of Flint's name, age, and current residence. Needless to say, he was more than a little unnerved, at least until the detective said Batman had recommended him. Anyone with the bat seal of approval had to be a damn good hero.

Next was an odd duo of Vigilante and Shining Knight. One dressed like a cowboy, complete with a bandana and hat, while riding into battle with a motorcycle and twin revolvers. The other was a time displaced knight from the days of King Arthur. Despite the incredibly odd duo they made, they functioned well as a unit and were near inseparable from each other. In their own kooky way, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Metamorpho was a hero that Flint instantly took a liking to. Having known what it was like to receive such powers as an accident of science, Flint could easily relate to the patchwork hero, and their similar powers only increased their newfound bond. After a few minutes of talking, they were already exchanging stories and jokes like old friends.

After all the introductions, Flint decided he needed a bit of a break and stepped over to the window where he stared in awe at the Earth. When he was a kid he used to dream about being an astronaut but this was unreal. To see the entirety of the planet he was protecting. It was humbling to say the least.

"Pretty amazing isn't it?" A familiarly sassy voice asked causing Flint to shake off his stupor, before turning to face the owner.

"Yeah it is" he replied simply as Zatanna gave a small laugh.

"So, how's it feel? To officially be a member of the new and improved Justice League"

"I could ask you the same thing" he replied with a smirk before leaning against the window. "But to be honest, it's kind of unreal"

She nodded in understanding before stepping closer to look out the window. "So, meet any new people?"

"Oh plenty. That Question guy though, he's kind of a kook" Flint said with a mock shudder as Zatanna smirked.

"Wound tighter than the screws on the Batmobile, but he means well"

"Still. Nice to see someone I actually recognize up here"

"Definitely. Haven't seen much of you since the glory days in the hotel" she joked.

"Yeah, I haven't been operating in Gotham as much, been trying to branch out to other cities, if only to give Bats a break every now and then. You know how protective he is of city"

"Yeah he certainly has a fixation on Gotham, but are you sure you aren't trying to avoid me?" She asked coyly as Flint gave a small chuckle.

"Nah, even if I was I couldn't hide forever. I have a feeling you could just pull me out of your hat if you wanted"

Before Zatanna could respond, Superman called for the meeting to start as the various heroes started to gather around in front of the podium.

"Well, looks like its show time" Zatanna said before Flint raised an eyebrow.

"I thought occupational puns were Flash's territory"

"Oh hush" She replied with a smirk and her trademark sass, as they joined the crowd of gathered heroes standing next to Atom Smasher, a man in a red and blue costume with the power to grow in size, and a Brazilian woman with green hair code-named Fire.

* * *

After a few moments of excess chatter, Superman raised a hand to quiet the other heroes. He was standing behind a podium on a raised platform, with Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Flash joining him on either side. After clearing his throat briefly Superman flashed a smile before speaking to the crowd.

"Each of you brings something different to the table. Strength, Speed, Stealth, whatever" he calls, garnering nods from the assembled heroes before continuing. "But we're all equal in at least one way. Each of us is willing to make the sacrifices a hero needs to make. Even the ultimate one"

Sandman nodded at that, before looking to the floor. It was that kind of sacrifice that sent him here in the first place.

"Since there are so many of us, we can do more than just put out fires, both literal and figurative. We can be proactive; we can do some real good in the world, but we're going to have to be organized" Superman said seriously before gesturing up. The crowd followed his gaze before seeing a smiling Martian Manhunter nodding to everyone down below from his control room. "J'onn will be up here, keeping an eye on everything; he'll be the one to decide who's going where and when. I know a lot of you are used to making those decisions by yourself, but from now on, we have to be more co-ordinated than that. We can't be cowboys anymore. Or cowgirls" Superman added as Flint and a few of the other heroes in the crowd let out a small chuckle.

Sandman nodded with a confident smile on his face before looking at Zatanna. "That what you expected"

"Pretty much. Big Blue always had a thing for grand speeches" She replies, before Sandman notices Batman talking to a green archer out of the corner of his eye.

"We sent the Lantern for you because you never gave us an answer" Batman said as the archer, known as green Arrow shrugged nonchalantly.

"Come on, I don't belong up here, fighting monsters and aliens and other super villains. I just help the little guy, and in a big club like this? You tend to forget all about him" he glowered as Batman's eyes narrowed, before he continued. "So gee whiz, I'm flattered to be asked and all, but no thanks"

"Suit yourself" Batman answered as he turned and started to walk away, before looking back at the archer. "Those monsters you don't fight? They tend to step on the little guys" He finished before leaving as Sandman raised his eyebrow in response.

"Bats has a sense of humour?"

"As impossible as it is to imagine, deep down he is a normal human being" Zatanna confirms as Sandman gives her an incredulous look. "Really deep down" She admits before J'onn suddenly turned his attention to one of the computer screens on the monitor system that was flashing an alert.

"It's some sort of nuclear accident. The sensors are showing a massive release of heat" He reads as Green Lantern nodded.

"I'll get down there and try to contain it" he responded, but before he could leave the Martian stopped him.

"That's the odd thing. It's not dissipating, rather it's moving in a straight line" he said before calling up a roster of active team members. "Take Captain Atom, he might be able to absorb some of the excess radiation"

"Right" John agreed before suddenly becoming thoughtful. "And I could use some muscle for crowd control"

"Take Supergirl" J'onn suggests, ignoring the Green Lantern's unease at his recommendation. "She's got to start sometime"

After a moment, Green Lantern relented with a heavy sigh. "Fine, but if I'm going in with two new members, I'm taking someone with more experience too. I'm thinking Flint. He's probably the most malleable of us in that regard" He says as the Martian nodded before typing at the keyboard. "Use a Javelin, the radiation is making it impossible for the transporter to get a fix on the location" He says before the Lantern takes off.

"Captain Atom! Kara, Sandman!" John barked as the three heroes in question quickly snapped to attention.

"About time" Supergirl said with a cocky grin before flying after him as Flint sighed and looked back to Zatanna.

"Just when I thought I might have the first day off"

"We're never that lucky. Have fun out there anyways" She retorts before Flint follows behind the two heroes, meeting up with a third hero who appeared to being wearing a silver bodysuit, with an atom on his chest, along with red gloves and boots.

"What's the situation John?" Flint asked as the heroes all walked into the Javelin bay.

"Not a good one. Any of you ever been to Chong Mai?" he replied before getting in one of the planes.

"It's on the State Department's 'no travel' list. It's a class three felony for American citizens to go there" Captain Atom replied sternly.

"And I thought Latveria was uptight" Sandman said with a small chuckle, ignoring the confused expression Captain Atom shot him.

"Is it anywhere near Daytona Beach?" Supergirl asked, causing the three men to groan in response.

As the four heroes boarded the Javelin, Green Arrow ran up to them from across the hangar, apparently taking the same elevator that they had.

"You're not gonna leave me on Mount Olympus?" the archer whined sarcastically as the heroes turned to look at him.

'Kinda reminds me of Webs' Flint thought to himself as Green Lantern folded his arms in response.

"You can go back the way that you came" the Lantern responded.

"Uh no. No one's playing pinball with my molecules again" Green Arrow said seriously as John rolled his eyes.

"All right, we'll drop you off after we're done" he relents before the Archer joined them all on the Javelin, where he hesitantly took a seat next to Sandman.

"So Green Arrow? You the new resident smartass?" Flint asks with a smirk as the archer raises an eyebrow before returning the smirk.

"Takes one to know one" he answered as Flint barked a short laugh.

As John got in the drivers' seat, Supergirl walked up behind him. "So, you're gonna let me drive right?" she asks with a hopeful expression as Captain Atom looked to John worriedly.

"Wait a minute, has she been certified in a Javelin?" he asks seriously before Supergirl sits and makes a face, sticking her tongue out at him childishly.

"Why don't you take the stick out Corporal?"

After a brief pause, Captain Atom looked to the side and huffed quietly. "It's Captain"

As the Javelin took off, it gave all the heroes an unblocked look at the Watchtower. The sheer size of the satellite was unlike anything that Sandman had seen before, marvelling at the sheer size of it before the Javelin began its approach to Earth. After a few minutes, Green Arrow leaned over to talk to Captain Atom.

"Is that a containment suit?" he asked as the Captain nodded.

"Uh-huh. I'm not flesh and blood anymore, just living energy" he confirmed as Green Arrow leaned back his seat.

"That wouldn't be nuclear energy, would it?" he asked with a frown.

"With a name like 'Captain Atom', what do you think?" he asked incredulously before Green Arrow folded his arms across his chest.

"I think you're what I marched against back in college"

* * *

The remainder of the trip was mercifully uneventful, and soon enough they arrived in Chong Mai, landing the Javelin in the middle of a forest clearing. Sandman, Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Captain Atom stepped out slowly before coming face to face with a straight path of scorched earth that went on for several miles ahead of them, forming a straight line almost like someone had just walked right through.

"Looks like we missed the party" Supergirl remarked as Sandman took notice of the heat still in the area.

"Good thing too, any more heat and Sandman would be Glassman" he shrugged as Green Lantern flew up a few feet.

"We'll do recon" Green Lantern interjected, calling their attention. "If you see anything, don't try to engage"

"Roger that" Captain Atom confirmed, standing at attention as Green Lantern dead panned.

"Uh, you can just say okay"

"… Okay" Captain Atom replied slowly before walking off, Supergirl and Sandman following behind him.

Green arrow watched them leave, taking a sip from the water bottle he'd brought with them. As he lowered the bottle, he noticed several armed men now levelling their weapons at the four leaguers outside, ready to fire their RPGs.

"Get down!" the archer called, quickly before taking cover.

The four turned in time to see the soldiers and Green Lantern brought up a shield around them just in time to shield them from the volley of rockets and bullets. Once they saw that the shield was holding strong the three other heroes relaxed slightly, still on alert as Flint instinctively formed his hands into mallets.

"State Department was right about them not liking foreigners" Captain Atom said simply as he surveyed the situation.

"It's crazy!" No reason for it!" Green Lantern snapped, concentrating on keeping the shield up.

"I'll give them a reason" Supergirl said dangerously, readying to take off before Flint held her back.

"Don't do it kid. If there's one thing Wild Pack taught me, it's not to make a bad situation worse" Sandman said seriously as Supergirl cocks her eyebrow.

"Wild Pack?"

Before Flint could answer Green Lantern nodded. "He's right. We came here to help them, not to fight"

"So you're just gonna stand there until they run out of RPGs?" Green Arrow asked as he took cover behind the shield with them. "If this radiation thing is as bad as it looks, there's a lot of people out there that are gonna get fried"

"Arrow's got a point, but what are we supposed to do to convince them that we're here to help?" Flint asks before the sound of a helicopter could be heard above the weapons. The heroes retook their fighting stances as it landed and the doors opened, but relaxed when an aging general stepped out and forced his soldiers to stand down and stop firing.

"My apologies for the fireworks" the general said in a sickeningly smooth voice as he walked up to the heroes. "Colonel Kim here was just a farmer before the revolution; he doesn't know who you are" he continued with a smile, but Sandman had seen enough of the underworld to know that it was gratuitously fake and forced. "I'm General Kwan, I am most flattered that the Justice League has honoured us with its presence, but I must ask why"

Green Lantern stepped forwards, finally disabling the shield he created. "You had some kind of nuclear accident"

General Kwan waved it off with a small smile. "A minor problem. It is fully under control"

Sandman looked back at the path of scorched earth skeptically. "Somehow I don't think that's likely"

"If it's all the same to you..." Lantern persisted before the general silenced him.

"It is fully under control" the General insisted, losing the smile in favour of his eyes taking on a cold and dangerous glint. "If it's all the same to you"

"Listen, we came a long way to help" Supergirl pressed.

"Your help is not needed here" Kwan said with a tone of finality. "Thank you for coming. Now goodbye" he finished before turning around briskly and storming off back to the helicopter as the troops dispersed.

"So what do you think? They hiding something?" Sandman asked rhetorically.

* * *

As the sun slowly set over the horizon, the heroes retired to the Javelin, each expressing their discontent differently. Green Arrow silently fumed, Supergirl cracked her knuckles eager to break something, Captain Atom sat quietly in his chair awaiting his orders, but it was clear that even he was displeased by the way he let his normally stoic face betray his feelings of frustration.

Flint meanwhile stood next to John as the latter contacted the Watchtower, the Lantern trying his best not to lose his cool.

"I'm telling you J'onn, it took all the restraint I had not to part that guy's hair with my ring" He said seriously.

"You did the right thing" The Martian responded, his face conveying the true weight of the situation. "But the problem is not under control. It's getting worse"

"Yeah, but what are we supposed to do in the meantime? It's not like they'll just let us back in to help" Flint asked before a sharp yell caused them to turn.

"Don't you get it?" Green Arrow barked as he walked up to John. "They don't want anyone to find out about the accident, and they don't care how many of their own people they have to lose to keep it quiet"

"This isn't your concern!" John replied, a cool glare levelled at the archer who returned it in earnest as Sandman stood between them to prevent the conflict from escalating. After a moment Green Arrow finally backed down as he turned and walked out of the room. John sighed before rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger tiredly as he resumed his call with J'onn. "He does have a point. Maybe the four of us should go back and…"

"No!" The Martian suddenly interjected before sighing. "We can't just do whatever we want. When we formed the League, we agreed with the world's governments that we'd have to respect each government's wishes. No matter what we think of their policies"

Before John could continue, Kara suddenly flew into the room looking panicked.

"Guys, Green Arrow is gone!" She exclaimed as Captain Atom followed behind her.

"So is the Geiger counter" He added as Flint groaned.

"Damn, better find him quickly before he does something rash" Flint sighed before the four of them charged out of the Javelin.

* * *

The search for Green Arrow, while long and tedious, was ultimately successful as Kara managed to track him down and locate him. However, upon arrival they found the emerald archer firing explosive arrows at a massive robot. The machine was several hundred feet tall and was clearly the source of the radiation, judging by the heat it was giving off. It also possessed a metallic skull for a head, wreathed in flames, in addition to multi-barrelled cannons on its arms which it was about to fire at Green Arrow until John saved him in the nick of time.

"There's civilians over by that cliff!" Green Arrow said before pointing to where several civilians had been trapped on the edge of a cliff, alongside a few soldiers, by the large robot. The large crevasse behind them was the only thing stopping them from escaping to the adjacent hills as the deadly robot continued its slow approach towards them.

"I'll try to drain it!" Captain Atom called before flying off as Supergirl gave him support.

"I'll try to keep those people safe, if you can make them a bridge!" Flint called as John nodded.

Sandman ran in front of the civilians before turning back to the robot, its ominous approach growing ever closer.

'Haven't done this in a while, but here it goes' Flint thought before focusing the grains of his body. After a minute of solid effort, the sand slowly morphed into a crystalline glass. Before the Robot could continue forwards, Captain Atom and Supergirl arrived to distract it as John made a bridge construct out of his ring.

"What's that supposed to do Flint?" Green Lantern asked as Flint pointed back at the distracted machine.

"I can use this form to deflect energy blasts. Just focus on getting them to safety, and I'll keep him off of you!" Flint called as Green Arrow led the people to the bridge John formed.

Captain Atom flew close in to the robot before draining a large amount of energy from its reactor. Despite its best efforts, the lack of energy was taking its toll on the robot and it suddenly lacked the energy to fight back. However, at that moment Captain Atom reached his limit as a small explosion emanated from his hands, knocking him to the ground. Kara didn't fare much better as despite its weakened state, the robot was still able to knock her back across the ravine and into the hillside. She quickly got up before flying back across to move the last of the civilians to safety as the robot fired a burst of energy at the heroes.

"Look out!" Arrow shouted as Flint held out his hands, attempting to deflect as much of the energy back into the robot as he could. The robot slowly started to be pushed back by the energy but then added more power into its blast.

"Aw crap" Flint deadpanned before the increase of energy proved to be too much for him after going so long without practice. The blast overpowered Flint and shattered his glass into dozens of tiny shards, much to the horror of his team mates.

With the last of the civilians safely across the ravine, Green Lantern put up a shield to hold back a second blast, but the energy proved to be too much and broke through his shield. He tried to dodge but was clipped on his side by the blast, knocking him to the ground quickly. John raised his head shakily before collapsing back as his vision went black.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity later, the glass shards on the ground slowly started to assemble back together. After a few minutes of effort, they were all assembled before they started to crumble back into sand. Once that was accomplished, the sand reformed the body of Flint Marko, allowing the hero to survey the area.

"Great, they're gone. And so is the giant robot" he sighs before stretching his neck stiffly. "Well I'd better head back to the Javelin. The others are probably worried about me"

Walking back through the jungle where they came, aided by a few fallen trees that the robot left behind, Flint finally arrived back at the Javelin, walking in to find an argument between the other members of his team.

Captain Atom and Green Arrow stood nose to nose, their eyes narrowed dangerously as Kara struggled to separate the two of them.

"Hey! That giant robot is still out there destroying the countryside, and we don't even know if Flint made it, so enough of the alpha-male smack down, or I'll leave you both here and solve this entire damn problem myself!" she grunted in annoyance before Flint stepped in and slapped both heroes upside the head.

"Alright you bunch of muscle heads. What happened out there?" he asked, ignoring the looks of surprise that the other heroes gave him at his appearance.

"Holy… you're alive?!" Arrow asked in shock as Flint nodded.

"Yeah, I'm no stranger to exploding" he shrugged before folding his arms. "So is anyone gonna fill me in on how we're doing? Where's John?"

The shock on their faces wore off, only to be replaced with more muted expressions as Green Arrow stepped aside to reveal the infirmary beds where Green Lantern lay. The ex-marine was covered in bandages and anything not bandaged was peppered with radiation burns and bruises. Flint stepped over with wide eyes before sighing as Captain Atom cleared his throat to call over their attention.

"What do we do now?" he asked as Sandman turned back to face them.

"It's obvious that our head on assault didn't work. Maybe the same people who made that thing, also made a way to destroy it" Sandman suggested as Green Arrow nodded in agreement.

"I saw some men wearing Hazmat suits in a nearby village. They might know something about that" he recommends as Captain Atom glared.

"I thought you weren't on the team?" He said tersely before Sandman held him back.

"Easy. We're gonna need all the help we can get out here"

After a minute, Captain Atom finally turned away. "Fine. But I'm gonna be too busy working to cover your sorry…"

"Wouldn't ask you to" Green Arrow responded with a lazy salute.

* * *

A few kilometres away, the smoking ruins of what used to be a village laid in the path that the monster had carved as it made its monstrous trek across the countryside. Men in hazmat suits walked all through the village with Geiger counters while a few armed soldiers kept watch over them. However, despite the protection they were still caught by surprise as Supergirl, Captain Atom, Sandman, and Green Arrow all surrounded the scientists as Captain Atom stepped forwards.

"What are we up against?" He asked, the scientist looking around nervously and refusing to answer,

"He asked you a question!" Supergirl shouted as a soldier ran forwards.

"Don't answer them! That's classified informa-" he started before Supergirl cut him off as she picked his up by his collar roughly. She levelled a harsh glare towards his as her grip on his collar tightened.

"I've had just about enough of you guys! You've got to the count of five. One. _Four_ " she said sternly as her eyes glowed red, and the soldier's uniform began to smoke under her charging heat vision.

"I'd speak up if I were you" Captain Atom said with a smirk

"Yeah, It might help you stay in one piece" Flint added before one of the scientist took off his helmet, revealing a face covered in radiation burns.

"It was supposed to be our protector" he admitted, looking down to the ground as Supergirl let the soldier go, who in turn ran off in fear. "It was supposed to protect us from the foreigners." The man continued before sitting down on a piece of rubble.

Green Arrow knelt in front of the man and nodded. "But then you lost control of it. Is that what happened?" he asked as the man nodded back, before gesturing to a box full of grey rods.

"We have carbon rod dampeners. But we couldn't get close enough to put them in".

Captain Atom picked up one of the rods before looking back at the scientist. "Where is its reactor located?"

"The front of its upper torso. But it's too hot; you won't make it"

"I'll worry about that" the Captain assured the man as Flint grabbed another rod. "Well, now at least we have something we can use against it. Any ideas as to how?" he asks as Captain Atom nods.

"I think I might have one"

* * *

A few miles away, the giant robot was continuing its destructive journey across the countryside as the four heroes arrived just out of sight of the monster.

"What's the plan Captain?" Flint asks as the others look at him expectantly.

"Well, if one of you can distract it for long enough I can fly in close and jam the carbon rod in its reactor" he suggests as the others thought on it.

"What kind of a distraction are you gonna need?" Supergirl asks as she looks back at the Captain.

"A damn big one"

Flint then looks back to the scorched Earth left in the monsters wake before smirking. "I think I can handle that."

"How? There's nothing out there but sand and rock" Supergirl asks as Flint nods.

"Exactly. Now, in order for Captain Atom to get close enough I'll need you to stay close and maybe punch that thing if he needs you to. Think you can handle that?" he asks as the girl nods with a grin.

"You know it" She says as she cracks her knuckles again.

Captain Atom then turned to look at Green Arrow. "Just in case I fail, I need you to hold some of the rods. If you have an open shot, take it"

The archer took a few of the rods before looking at the other three. "Are you sure about this? If you get too close, the heat could fry you"

"I know" the Captain said simply. Before the heroes moved too far away, Green Arrow called back to them.

"Captain!" he said before holding out a hand to the nuclear powered hero. He stared back at the archer for a brief moment before they shook hands, looks of respect on their faces.

"Alright, let's move out!" Flint says before disappearing into the sand that surround them. At that, Captain Atom and Supergirl took off, each carrying a few of the carbon rods with them. As they made their approach, the robot turned to look right at them, but before it could make any move to attack, a massive fist made of sand erupted from the ground before colliding with the monster's head, knocking it back a few feet before Flint followed behind, having taken in enough sand to stand at an equal height with the massive machine.

"Oh… wow" Supergirl said plainly as Captain Atom nodded, both heroes in total shock at what they were seeing. However, it quickly wore off as Captain Atom rocketed forwards while the monster was distracted.

All around the robot, the heat was so intense that the air around the Captain ignited, while Sandman was slowly forming into glass with every punch he landed. Careful to allow the Captain in safely, the atomic hero finally made it in front of the reactor and was about to jam the rod in before the monster shot him down to the ground with a blast from its' eyes.

"The hell?" Sandman asked before another blast shot him backwards before the monster turned the beam towards the downed Captain Atom.

Once the beam stopped firing, Captain Atom crawled out of the crater it left weakly, before gazing in horror at a tear in his containment suit. Knowing what that meant he quickly rocketed off, blue atomic energy crackling around him as he did.

"Captain?" Sandman asked weakly as the hero flew into the upper atmosphere before detonating in a massive blue explosion. The three other heroes watched in horror before Flint clenched his fist. "Kara! The Rods!" he called as the girl nodded before flying close to the ground and gabbing one of the rods while Sandman knocked the machine back.

When Supergirl flew in close the robot immediately back handed her away into a mountain several miles away before Sandman started pummeling it again. That was eased as the monster fired another beam, letting him down to the ground, forcing him to go on the defensive until he had another open chance to continue fighting.

"Ah damn it. Arrow?" He asked the archer who had already readied a rod on his bowstring.

"On it!" the archer called back before firing to rod, missing the reactor by a few feet. In retaliation, the monster fired another beam, forcing Green Arrow to duck for cover before firing another rod, this one missing by only inches.

As Green Arrow hid amongst the trees to prepare the last arrow, the monster fired a blast from both cannons, completely incinerating the forest before Flint turned to see the archer's hat amongst the flames. Flint grit his teeth in anger and frustration. It was only the first mission and they already lost two heroes in a matter of minutes. He quickly retaliated, attempting to smother the robot in a massive cloud of sand before reforming behind it and holding its arms in place.

Finally, the smoke in the ruins of the trees cleared, revealing a burned and beaten, yet still very much alive, Green Arrow; the final carbon rod at the ready.

"Say 'aah' dirt bag" The archer smirked before firing, the arrow flying true and planting itself deep in the reactor. The effect was instantaneous as the flames died and the monster lost all power. Suddenly, Supergirl flew back in before delivering a wicked uppercut and decapitating the husk that used to be a rampaging robot.

As the remains of the robot fell, Flint shrank back down to his normal size, leaving the rest of the sand behind as he regrouped with Supergirl and Green Arrow. "How you holding up?"

The archer said nothing as he fell to his knees and gave the other two a tired wave.

* * *

After contacting the Watchtower on the outcome of the mission, the three heroes returned, with Supergirl flying them back in the javelin much to the men's chagrin and nervousness.

An hour after arrival on the league tower, Sandman stood with Supergirl and a now conscious Green Lantern as they watched the Watchtower personnel put Captain Atom's salvaged energy into a new containment suit.

"J'onn had a team pick him up right after it happened, so he didn't lose much of his energy" John explains as Flint gave a sigh of relief.

"That's a relief, don't know what I would have done if we'd lost someone on the first day of the job" he admits tiredly as the half-filled suit gave them a weak thumbs up, which Supergirl returned.

"At least he got a new suit out of it" Kara says with a shrug as Flint nods.

"Yeah, well I'm gonna find bats. He said something about getting me set up with an identity back on Earth" Flint says before departing to find the dark knight as Supergirl looks as Green Lantern expectantly.

"So aren't you gonna give me the 'you did good' speech?" the teen asked as Green Lantern glared sternly at her.

"You're headstrong, unprofessional, and over confident. You could have potentially caused an international incident, and just imagine what could have happened if the others weren't there to pick up your slack. You could have gotten someone killed out there. If you ever act like that on a mission again, I will personally see to it that you are kicked out of the league. I don't care who your cousin is" He said plainly, before turning around and starting to leave a dejected Supergirl behind. After a moment, he stopped and looked back at her, noting her crestfallen face. "And incidentally, you did good" he added before departing, leaving a stunned Supergirl behind as her former smile slowly returned to her face.

* * *

After a few minutes of searching, Flint finally managed to locate Batman and approached him. "Hey bats, you wanted to see me?" He asked as the dark knight nodded.

"Yes, I have a new identity prepared for you all ready to go at the Batcave. I wanted you to look over it first, just to make sure everything was the way you liked it before I officially published it"

"Well, gee I don't know what to say bats. You didn't have to go to all this trouble" he said with a sheepish grin.

"I know, but if you're going to attempt a normal life in this world you need to have an identity"

"Fair enough" Flint relented before the door to the shower room opened and Green Arrow stepped out.

"Well, if it isn't the monster killer" Batman said with a small smile as Flint stifled a laugh.

The archer merely shrugged in response, "I was lucky. So was everyone else. Still don't think I belong up here"

"That's the point. Someone like you will keep us honest" Batman replied as Flint nodded.

"He's right. With all the powers running around here, we need someone to keep us mindful of the boundaries" he adds as the Archer rubs the back of his neck.

"Gee guys, I don't know; don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good radiation burn as much as the nest guy, but I don't think… that…" he trailed of as his eyes suddenly glazed over while he looked past the two of them. Confused, Flint followed his gaze before smirking as he saw a stunning blonde by the name of Black Canary pulling her boots on. Flint looked back at the still entranced archer as Batman folded his arms in triumph.

"So, see you around?" the caped crusader asked as Green Arrow gave a small smile.

"You just might"

* * *

"Alright Steve, we found the plans to the device that Wizard used. Any luck on your end with the interrogation?" Tony asked as he returned to his lab with Hank Pym and Reed Richards suddenly setting on the plans to build another one of the devices.

"Nothing good" Steve replied. "The Wizard in there was only a decoy. Logan knew it as soon as we entered the cell block. The real one is still out there somewhere"

"Damn it" Tony cursed before sighing. "Alright, just get back here quickly. We can find him later, right now we have to put our energy into replicating his device"

"Alright Tony. We'll be right over there."

* * *

The Wizard smiled deviously as one of his spying devices picked up their conversation from several buildings away. "So my device sent him to another dimension? Perhaps I should look into this myself…" he mused before flying away.

* * *

 **And there is chapter three! I promise that the next one won't have such a long wait. As always be sure to Read and Review!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	4. Adjustment Part 2

**And I'm back! After a long hiatus (who knew university would keep me busy?) I've finally added yet another new chapter.**

 **But First, to answer some questions left in the reviews (If you want to ask a question, or even make a suggestion, just leave it in the reviews).**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: But that would be spoiling the story ;) lol, but in reality no. Will that change? Probably not. I have some closure planned for this issue, but it's still in the planning stage.**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Outsiders is a team I hadn't considered, mostly due to wanting to stick within the realms of the JLU universe characters and teams. However, the Squad will appear. Eventually. As for the Killing Joke, yes I saw it. The Comic is far superior. Also I have no plans of incorporating that story into the future chapters (Mostly because I don;t have any good idea of where to fit it in, but also because I don't particularly want to), but that may change if something sways me to do so.**

 **Thanks again for all of the positive reviews you guys! Keep it up, and be sure to leave any questions if you have any.**

 **I don;t own any content here. All DC characters and properties are owned by DC comics and Warner Publications. All Marvel characters and properties are owned by Marvel, and by extension Disney (All hail the mighty arms of the mouse).**

 **With all of that out of the way, on to the story!**

* * *

After leaving Green Arrow to continue ogling Black Canary, Flint and Batman proceeded to the teleporters where they would be taken to the batcave.

"You really think he'll stick around?" Flint asks unsure as Batman gave a small smirk.

"Bruce Wayne has had dealings with Oliver Queen before. If there's one thing that Oliver can't resist, it's a pretty face. If anything, he'll stick around just to look at her some more" he answered as Flint chuckles.

"So what exactly do you need me to look over? Just some personal information you need from me?" Flint asks as Batman nods slightly.

"Mostly. There are also a few other things I need your input on, such as where you would like to live, as well as any formal education you've previously had".

"Fair enough" He shrugged before they stepped on the teleporter. "Hey thanks again bats, you really didn't have to do this for me"

"I know, but it's for the best if you do have this sort of information set up in our world. Hard to get a normal job if you don't exist after all" Batman finishes before they were sent to the batcave. They arrived on a small platform near the batmobile as Flint looked around, the cave looking exactly the same as it was when he was last there.

"Follow me" Batman says as he walks to the computer console. "And I would also like to let you know that a few of my sidekicks might be here as well"

"Sidekicks?" Flint questions before a foot suddenly kicked through his head, spraying sand outwards.

"Batman! Intruder!" A young boy's voice calls before two batarangs are thrown at Flint, passing through his torso as his head reformed back to normal.

"Ah sidekicks" Flint said in realization as the boy lands crouched in front of him.

"Stand down Robin. He's with the League" Batman said, not looking up from his computer screen once as the boy stands up and looks away sheepishly. "Oh sorry" he muttered as Flint chuckled lightly.

"Hey, no worries" He assures the boy before holding his hand out. "Flint Marko, but in the League, I'm the Sandman"

The boy looked at his hand, unsure, before he took it. "Tim Drake, aka Robin" he answered before smiling wide. "I've seen you on the news. You're awesome" He grins as Sandman chuckles lightly. "Heh thanks" Flint nods before walking over to where Batman was sitting.

"Is he the only one here?" Flint asked casually. Before Batman could answer, the sound of two motorcycles could be heard arriving in the Batcave.

"Hey Bruce, we're back" An older boy's voice said before he saw the Sandman standing behind Batman. "Who's this?"

"Dick, Barbara" Batman addressed as a red haired girl walked up behind a raven haired boy. "This is Sandman"

"Call me Flint" he says with a shrug before the teens walked forwards.

"Dick Grayson, former Robin, currently Nightwing"

"Barbara Gordon, also known as Batgirl"

"Gordon? I think I met your dad already. He's the police commissioner right?" Flint asks as Barbara nods in confirmation.

"That's right, he just doesn't know about me going out and fighting crime, so I'd rather keep it that way" she adds before Flint nodded and turned back to the computer.

"So, this is what you've come up with for me eh?" Flint asks, the various sidekicks filing out as Batman nods.

"Yes. I'll give you a minute to look over everything, then you can let me know what to add" Bruce says as Flint nods and starts reading.

'Real name: Flint Marko, age: 40, 6'1", education: high school graduate' he read, nodding along as he continued.

"Everything looks good so far" He said, looking at Batman before rubbing his chin pensively.

"As for current city of residence I don't suppose you'd want yet another hero in Gotham so how about Miami? I don't think they have a hero to take care of the place so it could help" He mused as Batman nodded.

"Good choice. I was originally planning on San Francisco, but I figured it would be better if you chose" Batman nodded as Flint remembered something John mentioned the night before.

'Careful there, you might wake up one morning and find out Bruce has given you a house in San Francisco or something' John's voice echoed through his mind as Flint blinked once in surprise.

"I'll be damned, he was right" Flint muttered before shaking his head.

"Did you have any preference on what your lodging is?" Batman asked as Flint shook his head. "Nah, not really. As long as it is furnished for at least two people" He said, the caped crusader raising an eyebrow at that.

"What? I might meet someone while I'm here" Flint defended before Batman turned back to his console and started his search for a potential home.

* * *

Several hours and a few disagreements later (Flint was adamant that he didn't need that much money, but Bruce was insisted that he be well supplied. They compromised and agreed on $500 000, with a guarantee that Flint would still find his own job), Flint finally had his own identity and his own home.

"Thanks again for everything Bats. I'll be sure to update you on things if anything comes up" He says as Batman nodded.

"I'm sure everything will be fine" Bruce assured before he shook Flint's hand.

"Well, here we go. Watchtower I'm ready for transport" Flint says into his communicator before he was teleported to his new house, arriving on the front steps. Luckily, no one was around to see his arrival as he opened the door and stepped inside looking around.

The house itself was very simply furnished. Every room had the basic essentials, but some things still needed to be purchased. Looking through the kitchen Flint nodded before making a mental note. "First things first, I'm gonna need some food. And some dishes" He says before going to inspect the other rooms of the house. One master bedroom, a guest room, two bathrooms, a living room, dining room, and a family room. It was simple, but it was everything he needed.

After composing a simple shopping list, Flint nodded before he shifted into the clothes he donned for a civilian guise as he put on the pair of glasses Clark gave him. "Alright, shopping first, then I can relax"

* * *

"Relax. What the hell was I thinking?" Flint muttered in frustration as he dodged a stream of ice fired from a freeze gun. He was busy fighting the Rogues, a group of Flash's villains that tended to frequent Central City, but were currently in Miami hoping for an easier score. They were made up of Captain Cold, the man with the freeze gun and who wore a white and blue parka, Heat Wave, a man who used a heat gun, Mirror Master a man who could travel through reflections, and Weather Wizard, a villain whose wand could change the weather.

"Come on you guys, I just moved in and I was hoping for one day off!" Flint called before knocking Heat Wave out with a well-timed punch before his arm was frozen by another stream of ice.

"Well we came here for an easy score, too bad one of you hero types had to go and ruin that!" Captain Cold retorted before Sandman broke through the ice and swung a large mallet at the cold themed villain.

"Yeah we tend to do that" Flint smirked before high wind started to blow his sand particles around. "Oh come on!" he shouted in frustration as Weather Wizard smirked victoriously.

"Dnaw fles Tcurtsed!" a woman's voice called as the wand in Weather Wizard's hand suddenly sparked as the wind died down.

"The Hell?" the villain questioned before a large sand mallet knocked him into Mirror Master, leaving Captain Cold alone against Sandman and the newly arrived Zatanna.

The villain looked at the two heroes before he dropped the gun and raised his hands in surrender.

"Thanks for the assist Zee, but what brings you to Miami?" Flint asks as the police arrive to arrest the Rogues.

"Well I have a show here over the weekend, so I thought I'd arrive early and enjoy a small vacation on the beach" She explained. "Of course, when I heard you'd moved in here I just knew I had to say hello" She smirks as Flint nodded.

"Fair enough. So now that the day is saved, are you gonna head to the beach?"

"It's definitely in the plan, but I was wondering if you'd like to get coffee first" She offered before Flint smiled.

* * *

"So it was seriously a giant robot?" Zatanna asked skeptically, sipping her coffee.

"Yep. Giant robot. It didn't even look interesting, it was just a generic giant robot" Flint nodded. The two had since changed into civilian outfits (Zatanna using her magic) before going to a small café and ordering their drinks.

"Well no one said the first day was ever interesting" She shrugged.

"You're only saying that because you ended up getting the first day off" He quipped in return.

"Guilty as charged" She admitted with a small chuckle. "So you got yourself a new identity here now?"

"Yep. It's pretty much the same as what I had back home. Well, without a criminal record of course"

"I would assume that came standard" she laughed, while Flint shook his head.

"Thanks again for the coffee. We should do this again sometime" Flint smiles before finishing his drink.

"It's a date" she nods before finishing her own drink, as Flint raised an eyebrow.

"A date?"

"You know what I mean, it's a figure of speech after all" she says, rolling her eyes as she stands up. "But for what it's worth, I'm not against the idea of it" she admits before standing up.

Flint continued to stare before blinking once. "Huh. Learn something new every day"

She laughed again before taking out her wand. "Nruter em ot ym letoh moor" she said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Flint set his mug down before finding a card on the table with her phone number. He smirked lightly before standing and leaving the café, leaving a tip on the table for their server as he begins his walk home.

'A date with Zatanna?' he thought to himself. 'Sounds like fun'

* * *

Across the country, Amanda Waller stood at the head of her small boardroom table. With her were the heads of both the military and scientific divisions of CADMUS, a government agency designed in direct response to the Justice Lords' invasion several months prior.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. As some of you may know, a new hero has popped up. Thanks to our surveillance we know his name to be Flint Marko, aka the Sandman. What's troubling about this is that other than a name, we have no information on him. No past education, living arrangements, or even a birth certificate. It was almost as if he never existed" She said, pausing to let the others in the room process the information.

"Until this afternoon" she continued before activating a projector which revealed a slide of information about Flint.

"At around two fifty-six this afternoon, a sudden wave of information about our mysterious new hero found its way into databases across the country. Where there was once nothing, we know have a whole wealth of information about him. This brings a troubling question to mind"

"What question might that be?" Asked General Eiling, an older man with a greying moustache who had a great distrust for the superhero community at large. He was a powerful man in the American military, and as part of CADMUS he was an essential component to any and all armed responses planned.

"Where he came from" Waller answered before revealing a graph that showed a sudden spike localised from the period of time during the Thanagarian invasion.

"This chart shows a large increase in energy from inside Metropolis during the Thanagarian invasion. It was at some point during this event that the Sandman first showed up. Simply put, we're dealing with a being from another universe" She said, the tension in the room suddenly escalating.

"You mean, he could be from the world of the Justice Lords?" asked Professor Hamilton, a supposed ally of Superman who worked in Horizon Labs.

"As of right now, we don't know. However, the possibility of that is not out of the question. As such, I want everyone to be on guard. Hamilton, make sure Galatea is ready for action at a moment's notice should the time arise. Tala, start running an analysis on any magical spikes during this time. Eiling, keep up the training on our troops, and update me if there are any new weapons developments. Dismissed" she finished as the various individuals left the room.

"Miss Waller, are you sure Galatea is ready for this? She hasn't been sent out into the field yet. Not once. It might not be the best idea to do it at this time" Hamilton said as Waller turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you questioning my orders?" She asked as Hamilton shook his head nervously.

"N-No! It's nothing like that, it's just…"

"I know you see her as your own daughter Hamilton, but the fact remains that she is not. She is a weapon created to oppose the Justice League should they go rogue. With their numbers having taken a massive increase in the last few weeks we need her now more than ever. As such I want her ready to go, with or without your input. Is that clear?"

"But-"

"Is that clear!?" She says louder as Hamilton flinches before nodding in resignation.

"Good. Remember, Hamilton, you can always be replaced. However, your level head is what we need to keep Eiling in check. Don't make me force my hand on this issue" she says, turning around before pouring a glass of brandy as the scientist leaves the room.

* * *

Flint was relaxing on his couch at home when he was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. "Hm? Well that's unexpected" he muttered before walking over and opening the door, revealing a smirking Wally West on the other side.

"So what's this I hear about you getting your own place and not inviting your best friend over?"

"Oh is Clark with you then?" Flint smirks before letting Wally inside.

"Oh you wound me" Wally laughs before looking around. "Damn, this place is nice. How much did Bruce shell out for you to afford this?"

"I honestly have no clue, and I'm kinda afraid to ask"

Wally nods before casually reclining on the couch and flicking through the channels on Flint's TV. "So what's new with you? All relaxed now after your first big mission?"

"Not even close. Especially not when your villains come a knockin'. Can't you get them to stay in Central City? After all, I do need the occasional day of to take it easy"

"Hah never" Flash remarks before looking over at him. "So is that everything or is there more you aren't telling me?"

"Well…" Flint started, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, I got a date with Zatanna but-"

"Whoa, back up! Did you just say you got a date with Zatanna?" Flash asks with a laugh as Flint nods.

"Well, sort of. She said she was interested at least" Flint shrugs as Wally gives a low whistle.

"Damn. Two weeks in and you're already back in the game" Wally jokes as Flint shakes his head.

"Yeah right. You got any advice for me?" Flint asks.

"Hm. Well, there's nothing wrong with taking her to the bar" Wally answers as Flint raises an eyebrow.

"I think I'm beginning to see why you're still single"

* * *

Zatanna grinned as she walked off the stage after finishing her show, retiring to her dressing room as she removes her hat.

"That never gets old" she muses before frowning. "Now where did I put that mug?" she mutters before reaching a hand into her hat a rummaging around before pulling it out. "Ah there. Llif htiw eeffoc" she chants before her mug was topped with the beverage.

Setting the mug down for a moment, she thought back to earlier, and what she said to Flint. 'Am I really doing this now? I mean he's not even been here a month' she thinks to herself with a frown before looking into the mirror. 'Maybe I should talk to someone about this… but who?' she frowned deeper.

Diana may be a good friend, and she might have a thing for a certain brooding detective, but when it came to dating, she wasn't as well versed as Zatanna needed her to be. Bruce was likewise a bad choice. He was certainly detached from emotion, and she could only imagine just how narrow his eyes would get if she even brought up the question. After a few more minutes she finally came to a decision before grabbing her phone and dialling.

After a moment, the line was picked up from the other side. "Hello?" a woman's voice asked.

"Dinah? It's Zatanna. Listen, I need some advice"

"Advice? What kind?" Dinah asked, her voice now piqued with curiosity.

"Yeah, you see there's this guy, and I may have dropped a hint about going on a date with him, but I have no idea how to pursue this. Any thoughts?"

"Hm. Honestly it depends on the guy but from experience I have to say, go with your gut on this one" she answered as Zatanna nodded.

"Fair enough. Anything else you can help me with"

"Not really. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to deal with a certain billionaire sending me baskets of roses"

"Roses? That's unlike Bruce"

"Not Bruce. Oliver"

"Ah. Have fun with that, he can be rather persistent"

"Don't I know it" Dinah laughed before hanging up. Now alone with her thoughts, Zatanna looked up at the ceiling before smiling.

"Yeah, I think the date is a good idea" she said quietly before grabbing her mug. "Owt maerc, owt ragus"

* * *

Salamandra sat in her cell, fidgeting with the inhibitor collar around her neck and frowning as she did so. It had been a few weeks since the failed attack on the Avengers and she hadn't heard much from anyone about the aftermath. All she knew for certain was that Sandman was gone, and Wizard was still out there somewhere.

As she sat in her cell, she was broken out of her musings by the sound of something cutting through her cell wall. She looked up to see a laser cutting through the concrete before a hole was opened by the Wizard. "Hello dearest" he greeted his ex-wife with a condescending sneer.

"Oh save it for someone who cares and just take this collar off already" She says in annoyance before he complies and removes it.

"We don't have much time, we have a job and we need to take care of it quickly"

"What about Trapster?"

"What about him?" he retorts before seeing some guards running at them. "Come on!" He said before grabbing her and flying off away from the prison.

"So what's the big deal breaking me out anyway?"

"It appears as though the machine didn't kill Sandman. It instead sent him to another dimension" he answered as her eyes widened. "Simply put, we're going after him for revenge. Once that's taken care of, we'll conquer that pathetic new world, this time, without the Avengers to stop us" he said darkly before arriving back at his laboratory.

'Flint Marko, you have no idea what waits you' Wizard thought to himself with a chuckle before he set back to work.

* * *

 **And another chapter is done! Be sure to leave a review!**

 **As for next time, well...**

 **What do you give the man who has everything?**


	5. For the Man Who Has Everything

**Guess who's uploaded another chapter!**

 **I hope to be able to post a few more chapters to this story in the coming weeks, so I'd like to thank you guys for being so patient and for sticking with this story. It means a lot to me that you guys have stayed for this long.**

 **Anyways, time to answer some questions!**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Are the chapters gonna be longer? Yes they are, especially when getting back into the chapters based on episodes of the Justice League show. The problem I have with the original chapters is knowing where to put all of my pieces for the overarching story. Will the JSA appear? Probably not, but I do have major plans for Ace to show up. Especially with some of the heartbreaking episodes she got. As for a mini arc with Rampage, I honestly hadn't considered that. I already have plans for a certain Marvel villainess already, but I'll see what I can do.**

 **In other news, I'm potentially looking for a new Beta reader, just to help with getting my new chapters out faster. Just someone who can read through, make small grammar checks, and make sure the whole chapter flows well. If you're interested in the job, be sure to send me a PM and we'll see what we can work out.**

 **As a bonus, in chapters 3 and 4 I hid references to Ben 10 Unlimited, which was one of the inspirations for this fic. Whoever can find them, will win a prize. What prize? Why a character of their choice (Marvel or DC) receiving a more major role in the story!**

 **And now, without further ado, on to the next chapter!**

* * *

Flint looked out over the tundra nervously as Diana's invisible jet soared over the ice. He wasn't entirely sure how an invisible jet was even supposed to work, but right now, the only thing he was concerned with was the fact that he could see the ground below them. Several hundred feet below them. It was more than a little alarming.

After a few more minutes of flying, a large spire of ice could be spotted as the occupants of the jet prepared to enter Superman's fortress of solitude. Diana quickly put the plane into a dive as it entered the water before moving through a tunnel in the ice.

"A little sharp on the turn, don't you think?" Batman asked her in his usual tone of voice before Diana turned to look at him with a smirk.

"Sorry if I scared you" she joked as Flint shook his head.

"Scared? Nah. The fact that we're in an invisible jet is frightening enough" he says with a shrug before the plane surfaced in the cavern and the three stepped out of the cockpit, each carrying a package wrapped for the man of steel.

"So, what'd you get him?" Batman asked as he looked to Flint.

"Well I wasn't exactly sure what he enjoyed so I just bought him a DVD box set. Does Clark watch Friends?" he asked as Diana chuckled.

"I'm sure I've seen him watching it before" Diana said before shrugging. "In any case, I'm not saying anything; he'll hear you and spoil the surprise"

"You do realize, he can hear that too" Batman answered in a whisper before they started climbing a flight of stairs.

"What did _you_ get him then?" Wonder Woman asked, as she looked at the dark knight curiously.

"He isn't the easiest to buy birthday presents for…" Batman started as he pulled out an envelope.

"Don't tell me you got him a gift certificate to Wayne Industries" Flint joked as Diana looked at him skeptically.

"Bruce…" She started as the detective shook his head.

"Relax, it's just cash" he said as Flint and Wonder Woman shared an incredulous look.

"I mean, that do you get for the man who has everything?" he continued before they reached the top of the stairs, and ran into Superman.

However, something was very wrong. He stared at them impassively, a strange purple plant growing out from his chest, with its thorn-covered vines wrapped tightly around the man of steel. The three heroes rushed forwards as Batman started to examine him.

"It seems to be growing through his costume and into his body" he muttered as Flint looked at him in surprise.

"Into his body? Isn't he supposed to be invulnerable?" Flint asked as Diana looked on worriedly.

"Is he breathing?" she asked in concern, as Batman shook his head.

"Barely" he responded as he opened a pouch on his belt. "You two start looking around, see if you can find who did this"

"Someone must have breached the fortress" Wonder Woman surmised before she went down a hallway to start searching for any sign of a breach. Flint meanwhile, formed his hands into mallets reflexively as he looked around.

"I don't like this Bats" he said plainly. Batman meanwhile took a flashlight from his belt before shining it into Superman's eyes. "Pupils aren't contracting even slightly. He must be cut off from all sensation. Kent where are you?" he muttered before looking down and examining a container that was at Superman's feet. It was two halves of an oval shaped package, and the dark knight quickly surmised what happened. "It was a gift. Teleported here by some alien culture or powerful world" he continued before his eyes narrowed. "Or someone who wanted you to think that they were grateful" he finished before a dark chuckling could be heard approaching from one of the halls.

"How remarkable" a voice commented as Batman and Flint turned to see a large humanoid alien, with yellow skin and wearing a purple jumpsuit standing in the doorway, Wonder Woman clutched tightly in his left hand. "You animals really are _almost_ intelligent. That's exactly what happened"

"Oh no. Don't tell me that's who I think it is" Flint asked dreadfully as he turned to look at Batman.

"Mongol" Batman growled as Flint's eyes widened. He had spent the last couple of days going over old case files from previous Justice League encounters, as a way of getting to know this world and its rogue's gallery of villains better. From what he read, Mongol was strong enough to be a threat even to Superman.

"You recognize me" the villain said in a sadistic tone. "I'm flattered. I'm sure that Superman told you about our previous encounter" he taunted.

"You mean how he humiliated you?" Batman asked, his brow raised.

"A jaundiced account" the warlord growled, his triumphant smirk now gone.

"The only thing jaundiced here is your skin. Seriously, see a doctor or something" Flint deadpanned as he stepped forward to protect Batman if need be.

Mongol glared at them briefly before turning his attention to Wonder Woman as he examined her, almost as if she were an insect. "What inferior specimens he surrounds himself with. I took her down before she even knew I was there. And I'll take this whole planet just as easily" he taunted before Wonder Woman's eyes snapped open and she slammed both of her feet into Mongol's face, prompting him to release her.

"Maybe not as easily as you think" she smirked triumphantly as Mongol glared darkly at her. "We 'inferior specimens' call it 'playing possum'" she said before preparing to engage his as Flint ran forwards to help her.

Suddenly, Batman raised his hand to stop both of them. "No" he said seriously as Wonder Woman looked at him in shock.

"No?!" she asked incredulously as Mongol took on a superior smile.

"Clearly the males on this planet are the smart ones" he started as Flint's eyes darkened. "He wants to know about the plant" he starts before walking over to the man of steel. "The Black Mercy is a telepathic species; it read's the heart's desire and it feeds the individual a totally convincing simulation of it" he laughed before grinning evilly.

"So he's dreaming" Batman summarized as Flint looked back at Mongol.

"That's just messed up" he said plainly as Mongol gave an almost offended look.

"Oh, this is far deeper than any dream" he said before he titled Superman's face to stare into his eyes. "I wonder where he thinks he is. Sitting on a throne, ruling the universe? All you human garbage fawning at his feet? More honest, don't you think, than this pretense of being the selfless hero"

Before he could say another word, a large mallet of sand struck him across the face, while Wonder Woman struck him in his abdomen. However, Mongol proved to be far stronger than she thought as she shook her hands briefly in pain while Sandman came around and struck Mongol again, without holding back.

The warlord stumbled back before wiping a small trickle of blood from his mouth. "You don't understand. Superman was the only one who could have stood in my way. The rest of you? You're already dead" he chuckled as Sandman shook his head.

"Speaking as someone who's had experience with several world ending crises, allow me to call bullshit" Flint quipped before preparing another strike. Batman and Wonder Woman both attacked him from behind, only for Mongol to backhand Diana into the wall and toss Batman into Superman's still comatose form.

The dark knight stood up painfully as Mongol attempted to strike Flint, his fist merely passing through his sandy body.

"Interesting, but still a futile attempt" Mongol taunted before Batman formed a new plan.

"Diana! Can you keep him busy for a few minutes? I think Sandman might be able to pull this plant off of Clark!" he called out as Wonder Woman nodded before tackling Mongol through a wall.

"You sure Diana can hold her own against him?" Flint asked as he stepped over to Batman.

"She knocked him into the Hall of Weapons; that should buy her a few minutes" he said plainly before gesturing to the Black Mercy. "If you want to help, get this thing off of Superman"

Flint nodded before increasing the size of his hand and grasping the Black Mercy firmly. Initially, it wouldn't budge, but after a few minutes of pulling on the plant with all his might, it finally loosened its grip before detaching from Superman and attempting to grasp onto Flint.

"Flint, let it pass through you!" Batman called as Flint grunted.

"I'm trying, it must be able to bypass my powers or something!" He called as he was left in a physical form before the plant wrapped around him tightly, and he fell to his knees with the same dazed expression Superman had.

"No!" Batman called out as Flint fell over onto the ground limply.

* * *

 **New York City**

Flint woke up groggily before sitting up in his bed and looking around the room. "What time is it anyway?" he muttered before looking at the clock on his bedside table. "12:30? Crap, I'm gonna be late for the meeting" he muttered before quickly getting ready and running down the hall before he stepped into the Avengers' meeting room.

"Right on time Flint" Captain America nodded as Flint sat at the table, joining Iron Man, Falcon, Hawkeye, Black Widow, She Hulk, Spider-Man, and Wolverine.

"Alright, so what are we up against?" Flint asks as Cap turns on the projector. "According to these surveillance tapes, HYDRA is planning to break some of its high ranking officers out of the Vault. The individuals in question, are Grim Reaper and Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker. We move out in half an hour. Be ready for it. If there aren't any questions you're all dismissed until we rendezvous in the hangar" Cap finishes as Flint stands before turning to Spider-Man.

"So webs, any big plans for the weekend?" he asked as the web slinger shook his head.

"Not really. I got the weekend off from the company and I was just gonna spend it relaxing at home" he shrugged before Flint nodded.

"Well if you want, you can come over to watch the game on Friday" he offers. "My wife is gonna be making a roast for dinner" he offers as Spider-Man thought for a moment.

"You know what, that sounds like a plan" he agrees before the two of them walked down the hall towards the hangar.

* * *

Superman blinked, slowly at first, before his eyes once again adjusted to the light. He looked up to see Batman looking over the unconscious form of Flint, some sort of plant growing out of his chest. The plant…

He remembered everything. Mongol sending him the plant. He was forced to relive everything he dreaded most. The loos of his family, the destruction of Krypton. Everything he held dear was ripped from his again. Mongol would pay.

Somewhere down the hall, he heard the sounds of fists hitting against flesh, and he knew that Dian was fighting Mongol in the Hall of Weapons. Ignoring Batman, he took off through the wall, passing Diana who was crouched on the floor in front of the alien warlord before he dealt a savage uppercut, knocking Mongol several floors down into a sub level of the fortress. The brute finally stopped and hit the floor in Superman's "Zoo" where he kept several alien creatures he saved from an evil collector.

Rage burning bright in his eyes, Superman threw punch after punch, before blasting Mongol with his heat vision, leaving identical burns along his forearm. "Do you have any idea what you did to me?!" The man of steel yelled before Mongol kicked him backwards.

"I fashioned a prison that you couldn't leave without sacrificing your heart's desire" he chuckled before cracking the tendons in his neck. "It must have been like tearing off your own arm" he laughed before Superman charged at him again.

* * *

Wonder Woman slowly rose before walking back to where Batman and Flint were. She held her own well against Mongol, and the weapons certainly helped her with that, but she wouldn't have lasted much longer without Superman's interference. As she entered through the hole in the wall, she looked up to see Batman, futilely pulling at the plant which was now wrapped around Flint.

"Hera, no" she muttered before stepping forwards as Batman turned to look at her, mild shock evident on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he helped her to steady herself.

"I've been better" she admitted with a weak smile before looking down at Flint with a frown. "What happened to him?"

"He pulled off the plant, but somehow it managed to deactivate his powers making him vulnerable to its effects. We either need Clark to pull it off, or else Flint has to break its control himself" Batman said before looking at the Amazon Princess.

"Well, Superman is busy fighting with Mongol, so it'll have to be the latter" she said with a sigh before Batman helped her over to Flint's side"

"Flint, I don't know if you can hear me, but whatever you're seeing isn't real. You have to break the plant's control Flint, you have to come back to us!" Wonder Woman called to him.

* * *

 **The Vault**

The Avengers stepped out of the front doors of the Vault prison, several HYDRA agents unconscious at their feet as the rest were being detained by the newly arrived SHIELD agents. Flint gave a little smirk at the damage he did to Grim Reaper, before he clutched his head with a frown, as though he were experiencing a sudden migraine.

"You okay son?" Captain America asked in concern as he placed a hand on Flint's shoulder.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just a bit of a headache or something" he said as Cap nodded.

"Why don't you head home then? You did good work today, you should get some rest. See the family" he suggested as Flint nodded.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Thanks Cap, you guys enjoy your weekend" He nodded before he stepped into a jet for transport.

* * *

 **Midtown**

A few minutes later, the jet touched down on the edge of his street as he stepped out before walking home and opening the door. "Hey, I'm home!" he called into the house before hearing the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Hey dad!" a girl's voice called as he smiled up at her.

"Hey Keemia. How you doin' kiddo?" he asked with a smile as he hugged her close.

"I'm good. Missed you though" she smiled before letting go and looking up at him. "Mom missed you too" she smiled as Flint nodded.

"And where is your mom anyway?" he asked before he looked up at the doorway to the kitchen, where her mother Alma was standing.

"Why she's right here" Alma smiled before walking over and kissing him briefly. "I missed you, you know"

"I missed you too hon. Need some help in the kitchen?" he asked.

"That would be great, dinner won't be ready for another half hour so I could use some help with getting everything ready"

"Perfect, I'll be right in. Keemia, you go upstairs and make sure your homework's finished.

The girl rolled her eyes before laughing. "Yes dad" she groaned before heading back upstairs as Flint entered into the kitchen with his wife.

"I invited Pete over to watch the game tomorrow night. I hope you don't mind" he says before going to make sure the table was set as Alma shook her head.

"No that's fine. Peter hasn't been here for a bit, it'll be nice seeing him again. Did want to get a pizza for the game?" She asked as he shook his head.

"No I figured you might want to treat him to one of your world famous roasts for dinner. That is, if you don't mind" he offered before she nodded.

"That sounds good to me" she smiled before wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close. "How did I ever get so lucky?" she asked before he gave a small laugh.

"Last time I checked, all I had to do was get down on one knee and-"

 _FLINT_

Flint stumbled a little as he held his head in pain, looking around as the house began to shake, all through the foundation as the voice continued to echo. That voice seemed familiar somehow. It was a woman's voice.

Diana, he thought to himself, somehow remembering that name from somewhere. But where?

"What's going on, is there some sort of attack?" Alma asked fearfully as Flint quickly grabbed his communicator.

"Cap what's going on out there?" He asked before receiving no answer. He tried other members, only to receive a similar silence.

"Damn it. Logan, Tony, Webs?! Anyone?" he called before cracks stared to appear all along the ground, opening up the street as Keemia ran back downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Dad what's going on?" She asked fearfully as she clutched Flint's leg tight.

"I don't know, it could be anyone. Doom, Thanos, Terrax the Tamer" he said, looking around as the cracks started to swallow his neighborhood, houses falling into the earth before his own house started giving way.

"Flint!" Alma cried before falling into the black abyss as he reached for her.

"Alma NO!" He shouted as he watched her fall way helplessly. "Not again" he whispered with tears in his eyes as he shook his head furiously.

Again. She was dead. Alma was dead and had been for years. Keemia… Keemia was in her foster home. She wanted nothing to do with him. The Avengers thought he was dead. Flint wasn't in this world any more.

He was with the Justice League. He was a hero now. He fought the Thanagarians. He helped stop the robot in Chong Mai. He remembered everything. Wally, Bruce, John, Clark, Diana, J'onn, Shayera, Oliver… Zatanna. He remembered them all.

He remembered the plant.

This was all a dream made by that damn plant. And Mongol… This was all his fault. Mongol did this to him, this was his sick joke.

Mongol would pay.

"God damn it" he cried quietly before turning to look at the illusion of his daughter, who was starting to fall away.

"Keemia, listen to me. I know you hate me, I know you want nothing to do with me. And that's fine. I should have never done any of this to you. But just remember; I'm your dad. And I love you. Everything I ever did, was because I love you" he said softly, choking back tears as she nodded.

"I love you too dad, no matter what I say" she nodded before she fell into the abyss along with the rest of the world.

* * *

Back in the Fortress of Solitude, Flint's eyes shot open, and he looked down at the plant on his chest in disgust before he forcibly blasted it away with a burst of sand from his chest, knocking it against the wall as its vines twitched and writhed feebly.

"Flint, you're back!" Diana said joyously as he nodded, his eyes darkening,

"Yeah I am, now where is Mongol?" he asked before Diana pointed down the hole in the floors that Clark made.

That monster would pay.

He shot down the hole quickly, Batman looking at the plant before forming a plan as he removed his cape and wrapped it around the twitching Black Mercy, which searched weakly for a new host.

* * *

Down in the Zoo, Mongol stood over the downed formed of Superman, a triumphant smirk on his face as he raised a spear that he retrieved from the Hall of Weapons. "Now Last son of Krypton. Prepare to join your people in oblivion!" He cackled before a massive fist of sand knocked him aside, and started to pummel him mercilessly.

"You! You monster!" Flint shouted as he savagely beat Mongol who raised his arm in response before backing away slightly, sending blasts of sand everywhere as it quickly reformed to Flint's body. "Do you have any idea what you did to me?!" he called as the tyrant chuckled.

"Your friend Kal El said the same thing" he laughed before Batman spoke.

"Flint duck!" he called before the Sandman turned, realizing the dark knight's intention before he quickly complied. Batman flung his cape like a sling, tossing the Black Mercy at Mongol who barely had time to gasp as the plant quickly latched on to him.

* * *

Superman stood up and looked at the fallen warlord, a sick grin etched onto his cruel face as the plant wrapped tighter around his throat, feeding him his own simulation.

"What do you think he's seeing?" the man of steel asked as Batman's eyes narrowed.

"Whatever it is, it's too good for him" he said before turning and looking at Flint, who watched the alien villain impassively.

"Flint?" Batman called as Sandman looked up at him. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice sounding uncharacteristically caring.

"No. Not really" Flint muttered quietly, sitting down as Diana flew down before sitting next to him.

"What did you see?" She asked him as he looked up at his three team mates, each one staring back in concern.

"I was back home. In my world…" he started, fresh tears brimming the corners of his eyes. "I was on the Avengers again. I was friends with them again. I… had a house with my family. With my daughter Keemia… and Alma"

"Alma?" Diana asked curiously as he turned to face her.

"Keemia's mother. She… she passed away when Keemia was five" he answered as Diana nodded sadly.

"Just being able to see her again… to see Keemia where she wouldn't hate me for what I became… It was too good to be true" he finished as the others nodded solemnly.

"Take the rest of the week off Flint. You're gonna need it" Clark offers as Sandman nodded.

"Yeah, I think I will" he agreed before standing and walking out of the room, leaving the other three to watch with worry.

* * *

Later that week, Zatanna sat in the Watchtower cafeteria, looking around worriedly. She hadn't seen Flint for a few days, and anyone she asked replied that they hadn't seen him since he left to visit Clark on his birthday. She frowned before looking up at the door just as Flash and Green Arrow walked in.

'Flash might know. He's friends with Flint' she surmised before walking over to the two of them.

"Oh hey Zee, what's up?" Flash asked, momentarily forgetting about his conversation with the emerald archer.

"Not much. Hey, have either of you seen Flint? He hasn't been up here for a few days. People are starting to wonder" she asked as Flash rubbed the back of his neck stiffly.

"Wait, you mean you knew?" Green Arrow asked his as both he and Zatanna looked at Flash expectantly.

"Yeah I do. Just remember, what I tell you needs to be kept secret. As of this moment, only founding members were trusted with this. It's a need to know basis only" He said quietly as both heroes nodded in understanding.

Flash sighed before clearing his throat and starting. "Back when Flint went with the others to see Clark, they found Mongol in the fortress" he said, both heroes' eyes widening in surprise.

"So Mongol kicked the snot out of him?" Arrow asked before Zatanna elbowed him harshly in the stomach.

"I wish it was just that. Mongol had given some sort of plant to Clark that made him see his deepest desire. And after taking it off, the plant attached itself to Flint. Whatever he saw, it's put him in a real deep funk. That's where he's been" Flash finished as Arrow nodded solemnly.

"Damn, that's harsh" he commented before looking around. "Hey, where'd Zee go?" he asked as the speedster looked around in surprise.

"Huh that's weird… anyways, back on track. The key to landing Canary is…" Flash started again as he and Arrow resumed their conversation.

* * *

Flint frowned deeply as he watched his TV absent mindedly. Three days later and he still couldn't shake off the feelings the plant made him go through. Having to experience the loss of Alma for a second time, coupled with seeing Keemia accepting him again just put him off his rhythm.

'Damn it. I can't spend the rest of my life brooding. That's Batman's job' he thought to himself before hearing a sudden knock at the door.

"Hm? Who could that be?" he muttered before opening the door, revealing a certain raven haired magician, holding a tray with two coffees on it.

"Hey. I figured you could use some company" Zatanna said, chuckling lightly as he nodded.

"Yeah, that would be great" he said quietly, a sad smile on his face as he let her inside.

"So Flash gave me a summary, but I figured that it would be best to hear the whole story from you, I mean, if you're up to it" She said before sitting down on his couch, and looking up to him.

"I guess I am. It would probably help to get a bit of the weight off my shoulders anyway" he nodded before sitting across from her and starting his story again.

* * *

Diana walked up to Flint's door, the events from the fortress playing over in her mind for what seemed like the millionth time. She figured that Flint needed a bit of contact to help get him out of his funk, so she came by to check on him before he came back after the weekend ended.

She approached the door and raised her hand to knock before the door opened revealing Zatanna, who looked at Diana In surprise.

"Oh uh… Hello Diana" she said as Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Hello to you too. What are you doing here?" she asked before Flint walked over to the door.

"Oh hey Diana. Zee just came over for some coffee. Did you want to come in too?" he asked before she shook her head.

"No I just came by to check up on how you're doing" she said before smiling. "It's nice to see you in better spirits Flint" she added as he nodded.

"Hey thanks. It's nice to be back in the swing of things" He nodded before looking to Zatanna. "Anyways, see you both Monday. I got monitor duty on the watchtower" he smiles before Zatanna nodded.

"See you Monday Flint" she smiled before the door closed, and she turned to look at Wonder Woman who was giving her a suspicious glance.

"Alright, talk" she started as Zatanna laughed sheepishly.

"Oh well, you see…" she started before grabbing her wand. "Ekat em emoh, ylkciuq!" she cast before disappearing in a puff of smoke as Diana frowned.

"Hm… this isn't over" she muttered before walking back down the steps as she started off. Before she could get too far, a sudden thought ran across her mind.

'Did Flint have lipstick on his cheek?' she thought to herself before smirking. "Well, I guess it's time for me to have a little talk with Zatanna. I'm sure Dinah would love to help" she laughed before raising a hand to her communicator.

"Watchtower, I'm ready for transport" she called before J'onn teleported her back onto the tower.

* * *

"Tony? You wanted to see me?" Captain America asked his team mate, who nodded almost excitedly.

"Yes I did. We just made a massive breakthrough with the portal" he said as the Captain's eyes widened.

"Do you mean?" he started as the inventor nodded.

"Yes, I do. With just a little bit of time we'll be on track with getting Flint back here" Tony nodded as Cap smiled.

"How much time will you need?" he asks as Tony grins.

"That's the best part. It'll be ready to go within the week. Reed's already gone to get the rest of the Fantastic Four ready. One he does, we'll start getting the portal active" he finishes as Cap sighed in relief.

'Hang on Flint, wherever you are. We're coming for you' Cap thought to himself before nodding to Tony and walking off.

* * *

Flint smiled softly to himself as he thought back to everything that had happened. He honestly didn't know how long he would have been in his funk if it weren't for Zatanna. Nodding with a sigh, he stood up before walking into his kitchen and pouring himself a small glass of brandy before reaching into his wallet and pulling out a photo.

In it, was him and Keemia. It was taken on her tenth birthday, just a year before she was put into her foster home. It wasn't long after that when she became sick. He frowned at that memory before taking a sip of his drink.

"I already failed her once before. Even when I joined the Avengers I couldn't get her back" he muttered before smiling sadly. "I know I probably won't get her respect back, but I can at least try. I will be better. I will carry on" he said before finishing his drink and setting the glass down on the table.

"For her"

* * *

 **And done!**

 **And now you know a little more of Flint's backstory. As for accuracy, it should be noted that Sandman here is an amalgamation of several different versions, so his backstory isn't exactly the same as the 616 version of the character. Just in case anybody was wondering about why his backstory seemed to be a little different from what they knew.**

 **In any case, don't forget to read and review!**

 **See you all in the next chapter, where we discover what it's like to be a kid again!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	6. Kid's Stuff

**Whoa! Another chapter so soon?**

 **Yes indeed my loyal followers, I have managed to find the time to add yet another chapter to this story (University finally decided to give me a break).**

 **First things first, congratulations to Jestalnaker94000 for finding both of the Ben 10 Unlimited references! That means that you get to have a character of your choice added to the story.**

 **As always, be sure to read and review!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the idea for the fic. Sandman is owned by Marvel, and by extension Disney. The Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC and Warner Bros.**

 **And now, on to the chapter!**

* * *

Among the crumbling ruins of some long vanished civilization, two figures walked among the ruined pillars and worn paths as they came across a temple, long since ravaged by the sands of time. One of the two was less than interested in what they were currently searching for, while the other was intently focused on the temple ahead of them. They walked inside the entranceway to the old building before the short one sighed indignantly.

"This better be worth it, Mother" the young boy said, huffing to himself. This was Mordred, and his mother was the infamous sorceress Morgaine le Fay. "I mean it" he pressed, not looking up from the handheld video game he was playing as his mother seemed to smirk under her golden mask.

"If the legends are true, it will be" she answered before leading up the stairs as Mordred rolled his eyes.

"You've been saying stuff like that for, like, centuries. Nothing ever changes" Mordred said impatiently.

"Everything's changed" the woman answered impassively. "Except you Mordred, and that's because I want you to still be young when I give you your kingdom"

"But I want to be king now!" the boy yelled before finally noticing that Morgaine had since stopped moving, and was standing in front of a statue of a six armed creature, an amulet clutched in the lower left hand of the statue. "What's this thing? Another stupid charm?" he asked as the amulet seemed to glow a bright pink in response.

"It's the Amulet of First Magic, the source of all earthly sorcery" she said, as she shielded the boy with her body, in case something were to go wrong.

"Huh, shiny" Mordred responded before he climbed the statue, and sat next to the hand that held the amulet.

"Be ready Mordred" Morgaine commanded as she waved her hands, magic circling them before she fired a beam at the statue, its own hand uncurling from around the amulet as Mordred caught it.

"At last. Mordred, give that to me" she asked as her son instead gave her a smug grin.

"Why should I?" he asked as Morgaine shook her head.

"Silly child, you're not-"

"Not what? Ready?!" he asked as he put the amulet around his neck, a furious look overtaking him. "Not big enough or old enough? None of that matters mother! Because now…" he laughed before crackling energy surrounded his hands as electricity flew from his eyes. "I'm strong enough!"

"Mordred!" she barked, half in fear and half in rage, before she fired a burst of energy in an attempt to stop him as he lazily cast it aside before changing his purple tunic into a suit of gold and black armour with a three pointed crown upon his head.

"I'll have my kingdom, and without anyone telling me what to do!" he declared before pointing an accusing finger at his mother. "I never want to see you, or anyone older than me ever again!" he announced before raising his hand and casting a wave of purple and gold energy that quickly spread out over the globe.

"No!" Morgaine cried before the wave struck her, and she vanished from sight, the wave continuing around the world.

* * *

"It's good to be back in the swing of things" Sandman mused to himself as he dodged an attack from a rather large villain known as Blockbuster. He was helping Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern to fight off several supervillains who were attempting to break into a federal gold reserve. Among the villains were the aforementioned Blockbuster, Cheetah who possessed cat like agility and reflexes to go along with her feline appearance, the Shade who could produce darkness from the cane he possessed, and finally Copperhead who dressed like a large snake, complete with venomous fangs.

Lazily knocking Shade to the side, he turned to look at Superman, who had gathered the now unconscious form of Blockbuster before walking over to him. "Nice work on Shade there"

"Honestly he wasn't that bad. A little annoying though" he remarked, remembering what it felt like to be immersed in his artificial darkness.

"So what's this I hear about you and Zatanna?" Clark asked with a smirk as Flint rolled his eyes. Ever since Diana came to see him after the event with the Black Mercy, he'd been bombarded with questions regarding his relationship to the stunning magician.

"We've just gone on a date before that, and we're looking at another one. Satisfied?" He asked as Clark let out a small chuckle.

"Fair enough"

"Now what's this I hear about you and a certain Metropolis reporter?" Flint asks with his own smirk as Superman rubbed the back of his head.

"You mean Lois? Well, I mean I do like her, but she has a thing for Superman" He said, talking about how his co-worker was smitten with his guise as the man of steel.

"But aren't you Superman?" Flint asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well yes, but Clark Kent likes her too"

"Ah, so Clark Kent likes her, but she likes Superman" Flint nods before pinching the bridge of his nose. "But isn't Clark Kent Superman?"

This time, Clark looked almost dumfounded as Flint resisted the urge to face palm.

"Listen, Clark, why not just tell her who you are?"

"What?! Are you crazy?" Superman said in shock.

"I'm serious" Flint retorts as Clark shook his head.

"I can't. If I do that, there's no telling who would want to hurt her, to get to me" he explains as Flint nodded.

"I understand that, but it's not like you're telling your villains who you are, just her. Besides, from what I've seen, she already gets herself into enough trouble without knowing your secret" Flint shrugs as Superman shot him a small glare.

Flint sighed before putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just think about it man. Lois is too nice a woman for you to pass up" he finished as Clark nodded.

"Alright, I'll think about it. Now come on, we should check on the others" Clark remarked before grabbing Blockbuster as Flint hefted the Shade over his shoulder before following behind, where they found Diana had subdued Cheetah, leaving Copperhead as the last villain standing.

"I won't go down so easily!" the reptilian villain hissed before leaping at Green Lantern., who raised an eyebrow in response as he conjured a brick wall with his ring. The villain struck the wall, before slumping over unconscious.

"Sure you won't" the Lantern responded before they gathered the rest of the villains and bound them together with some rope conjured by the ring. "Guess that's a wrap" John said as the other heroes gave him a questioning glance.

"Sorry, been hanging around Flash too much" he admitted as Flint smirked.

"I think we all have" He said as the others, minus Batman, chuckled lightly. Before anyone else could say anything in response, a sudden wave of gold and purple energy appeared and covered the heroes and villains before they all disappeared.

* * *

Once the wave disappeared, the heroes all looked around, extremely puzzled. They were all floating on a chunk of rock, surrounded by a white sky, crossed with red and black lines. All throughout the dimension, there were other rocks, all filled with other people.

"This… This is less than encouraging" Flint said as Copperhead slowly woke up, before looking around in a panic.

"It was Judgement Day!" the villain cried hysterically. "And we got sent to the bad place! The bad place!" he continued to rave before Cheetah growled in frustration and slapped him upside the head.

"Snap out of it Copperhead!" she shouted as the rest of the heroes looked around.

"Have you noticed anything odd about all this?" Batman asked as he continued to survey their surroundings.

"You mean, apart from the glaringly obvious?" Flint asked with a smirk as John smirked in return.

"There are only adults here" Batman answered, as though it were obvious.

The other widened their eyes in surprise before they noticed the same. "He's right. There aren't any children here" Wonder Woman answered before another woman's voice spoke up.

"That's because a child is responsible" Morgaine Le Fay answered as the heroes all took fighting stances at the sight of her.

"Morgaine Le Fay" Batman growled "I should have known"

"Calm yourselves, I mean you no harm" she said as Flint and John shared an incredulous glance. "My own son, Mordred, is responsible for this treachery, banishing all adults to this shadow-realm" she continued before looking off into the distance. "And after I sent millennia feeding him, bathing him, preparing him to be king. Where did I go wrong?"

"The answer is obvious, she went wrong when she decided to teach him the dark arts" Flint muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"She couldn't have just sent him off to Hogwarts instead?" John asked as Wonder Woman stepped forward.

"You're a sorceress, can't you undo the spell?" she asked as Morgaine shook her head in response.

"No, he has the Amulet of First Power, he's too powerful" she explained before looking over the heroes. "But if we all work together…"

"You want us to defeat your own son?" Batman finished as she turned to him, her mask hiding a smug grin.

"So don't trust me. Let him rule the world and all your children. Here we will stay. Forever"

"And how exactly do you expect to free us from this world to go and stop the little gremlin?" Flint asks.

"Well, the spell only banishes adults" Morgaine says as the heroes quickly caught on to what she was saying.

"I don't like where this is going" Green Lantern said with a frown as Morgaine shook her head.

"It's the only way" she responded as Superman sighed.

"We have to do it" he conceded as Morgaine seemed to smirk.

"Excellent" she hissed before magic energy swirled around her fingers. " _Milugu sagaroth, raboth fanaabu, kathuta!_ " she chanted before she fired green energy from her fingers, which in turn surrounded the heroes as they disappeared.

* * *

With a bright flash of light, the five heroes appeared in the world populated by children, hidden in the shadows of a large castle that Mordred had conjured for himself and his so called 'subjects'. Batman in particular looked down at his now eight year old self before regaining his usual scowl.

"This better be temporary" the dark knight said as Superman laughed.

"You sound weird" he grinned before his eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa. So do I"

"I kind of like this" Wonder Woman smirked as she stood over her team mates by a god few inches.

"I don't" Flint responded plainly, as the others noticed his younger body. Clearly, he must have taken on his larger build later in life as in his place was a rather scrawny kid, looking almost like he didn't get enough to eat.

The others then turned their attention to a squinting Green Lantern. "What's the matter?" Batman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I wore glasses as a kid. Guess I need them again" he admitted before his ring instantly created a thick rimmed set of glasses. "Wow! I didn't even try to make these!" he said with a laugh.

"I hope not" Batman muttered as the others tried not to smile. Green Lantern then focused before the glasses turned into a sleeker and much cooler mask.

"Nice" Superman complimented as Wonder Woman slapped him upside the head.

"Would you stop messing around? We gotta find Mordred" she said seriously as Batman pointed to the castle.

"I bet the little punk's in there" he surmised as the others nodded.

"Yeah that sounds about right. Medieval brat probably would want to live as the king of the castle" Flint nodded as he formed his hands back into mallets.

"Come on!" Batman called as he took off running for the castle as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern all flew past him. "It's not a race!" Batman whined as Flint took up the rear behind him. Crossing over the drawbridge, Superman cocked a fist back before he punched the door to the castle down and the League ran in after him. Inside, they found Mordred, sitting on a throne and surrounded by children. He took one look at them before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"The Justice Babies! Ha!"

"What are you laughing at, precious?" Batman asked as his eyes narrowed.

His laughter ceased as he looked down at them with a frown. "So, mother sent you, huh? Well she shouldn't send a boy to do a man's job!" he called before his hand grasped the amulet and he sent out a wave of magic which caused several of the toys that littered the ground to grow in size until they towered over the heroes.

"Ah crap" Flint said plainly before the heroes jumped into action against the toys who all swung their weapons at the younger Justice League. Superman flew towards a large red figure wielding a spiked mace but was knocked into the ground in response. Meanwhile, Green Lantern blasted another of the giant toys to pieces before a third gave chase against him.

Batman ran directly after Mordred but was intercepted by a large monster. He jumped over his opponent before throwing a grappling hook. Mordred nimbly dodged before smirking. "Ha!" he taunted as Batman smirked in response before pulling and knocking the throne on top of the self-proclaimed king. However, it didn't last long as the throne suddenly exploded, revealing an enraged Mordred, who sent a wave of purple energy at the caped crusader. Batman quickly dove to the side as the wave struck the monster behind him instead, vaporising it instantly.

Sandman dodged an attack from a large army man before transforming into a storm of dust and flying at the toy. It aimed another swing which passed through the sand harmlessly as Flint dove into the joints on the toys limbs. Once inside he rapidly expanded outward, causing the toy to blast to pieces, its arms continuing to twitch as Flint reformed his body. "Down in one" he laughed.

Green Lantern however had his own problem to deal with. Not with his opponent however, as he managed to stay out of its reach with little trouble. Instead, he was having trouble deciding how to dispatch his opponent.

"I'll make a laser cannon! No, no a missile Launcher! Oh, I know!" he said excitedly as Superman rolled his eyes.

"Just pick something!" he called out before Green Lantern produced a large boxing glove, and smashing his opponent to pieces. Superman finally melted his own opponent with his heat vision as Wonder Woman had easily tossed her own outside and into the moat as the heroes regrouped in front of Mordred.

"That's not fair!" the young sorcerer called with a pout as Batman readied a fist.

"Get him!" he yelled as all five heroes charged ahead, poised to take him down fast. Mordred raised a hand as he froze all of the heroes in blocks of ice.

"Playtime is over!" he gloated before grasping the amulet. "You'll share the fate of my enemies; execution". In response, the floor opened beneath them as the heroes fell into the dungeon below, the ice instantly shattering. Superman shook his head before attempting to fly out, but Mordred summoned a magical barrier that prevented him from flying back out.

"Well that hurt like hell" Flint groaned before a gate in the dungeon slowly started to open. From inside the darkness beyond the door, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared as a yellow monster with fangs and fan shaped ears stepped out. Its intimidating appearance was decreased however with his height, as he only came up to the heroes' knees.

"What did he do to the demon?" Green Lantern asked curiously as Flint looked at their fellow Leaguer in wonder.

"Etrigan?" Batman asked curiously before the demon blew a stream of hellfire in their direction. Wonder Woman pulled Batman out of the way of the flames while Green Lantern conjured a shield to protect the others.

The demon leapt forward, intent on attacking the shield before Superman grasped him out of the air.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Batman called, worrying for their friend. In this moment, the demon glared at the man of steel before biting his forearm in response.

"Ow! Tell him that!" Superman said, shaking his arm in pain, launching the small creature across the dungeon.

Lantern attempted to cage the pint sized demon, but it easily crawled out and continued to wrestle with the heroes as Flint looked to Wonder Woman with a raised eyebrow.

"Etrigan, you stop right there! I mean it!" the younger Amazon yelled as the demon looked at her in confusion. "You naughty monster! Bad, bad Etrigan!" she continued to scold before tears started to well up in his eyes. The sudden change in his behaviour caused her to pause as she picked him up, rocking him gently. "Hey, little guy. It's okay. I won't hurt you" she assured him.

"You've got to be kidding" Batman deadpanned as Flint shook his head.

"So that just happened" he remarked as Wonder Woman patted Etrigan's back gently. "He's just a baby" she responded as Etrigan burped a small ball of fire. "That's all he needed"

"Aw man, that ain't all he needs" Green Lantern said, his nose wrinkled in disgust as Batman backed away.

"Now that is a job for Superman" the caped crusader remarked before walking off as Lantern followed him. "I'm gonna punch a way out of here" he answered as Wonder Woman nodded.

"I'll help" she said as she handed the demon over to Superman.

Superman looked to Flint with a pleading face as Sandman coughed nervously. "They might need a hand" he said before running off as Superman pouted lightly.

"Traitor"

* * *

Several long hours' worth of punching later, the five heroes and one shrunken demon had finally escaped the dungeon and carefully made their way out, looking once again for Mordred. Eventually, they found the courtyard and were met with a large crowd of children, who had devolved into pure chaos. Kids were running around, causing a mess, fighting with each other, and just generally doing what they couldn't when the adults were around. The four heroes all entered into the center of it all as Etrigan hid, just out of sight.

"Are all kids this innately destructive?" Green Lantern asked rhetorically as Wonder Woman's eye twitched before she suddenly yelled. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" she called out as the kids suddenly stopped what they were doing before looking at the Amazon princess.

"You can't tell us what to do! You're not our mom!" one girl shouted back before Wonder Woman levelled a glare at her that unnerved each of her male team mates.

"No, but I promise you, we will find all of your moms" she said before her glare intensified if it was even possible. "And I'm gonna tell!"

All the kids looked at her in a mixture of fear and wonder as she pointed to the door of the castle. "Go outside and wait for your parents!" she called as the kids didn't move at first.

"Now!" she pressed before the kids quickly made their way outside. Once they were all gone, Etrigan made his way back towards them before Wonder Woman turned to look at Batman, and winked placing her hand on her hip.

"Your girlfriend sure is bossy" Lantern commented as Batman glared.

"Shut up" he growled out before storming off ahead as Flint looked to the Lantern.

"Those two have a history with each other?" he asked as John nodded.

"Yep. Bats just won't admit that to anyone. It's… kind of sad actually" he admitted before they snuck back into the castle. Clearly, Mordred believed them to be dead and as such saw no need for guards. Instead, they found the young ruler asleep on his throne, with headphones in his ears to block out any sound.

"We can take him" Wonder Woman whispered with a smirk.

"I'll make a giant lawnmower and chew 'im up!" Green Lantern grinned as the other heroes stared at him.

"I say we take the amulet way from him, then we can take him down" Batman countered. "Any ideas?"

"Well, I could try and sneak it off of him if I can get close enough" Flint mused.

"Alright, then that's the plan. Once you take the amulet away from him, we should be able to stop him" Batman nodded before looking at Green Lantern "but no lawn mowers"

"Why?" Lantern asked in confusion as Superman shook his head.

"Because it's stupid" he answered before Flint eased into a cloud of dust as he slowly made his way over to where Mordred was sleeping.

"All right, while Flint is taking care of that the rest of us will split up. Two on one side, two on the other" Batman continued.

"I'll go with Clark" Wonder Woman said before a sly smirk came over her face. "Unless you want me to go with you Bruce"

"Whatever" he said rolling his eyes.

"I'm cool to go with Diana" Superman responded with a smile before Wonder Woman shook her head.

"I changed my mind. I'll go with Bruce, and John can go with Clark" she said before grabbing Bruce's arm and dragging him off.

"What's with them?" Superman asked in confusion before John snickered and flew off in the opposite direction.

"What am I missing?"

As the others got into position, Flint watched from his cloud as he slowly moved closer to Mordred. Reaching out a slim hand made of sand, he grasped the amulet before slowly lifting it off of Mordred's neck. Once it was clear, he smirked in triumph. However, he was soon pulled back to reality when a little girl walked in from out of nowhere.

"What are you doing?" she asked as Flint looked at her in confusion.

"Huh?" he asked as Mordred slowly began to wake up, stirred by the commotion.

"Get the amulet!" Batman called as Flint nodded and pulled it out of Mordred's reach as the other Leaguers sprang into action swiftly, all trying to stop Mordred from grasping the amulet again.

"We can take him! He's just a little kid!" Batman shouted before Mordred's eyes started glowing as he retrieved the amulet and grew in size, becoming nearly twenty feet tall as he towered over everyone else.

"Man I hate magic" Green Lantern complained as he and the others were tossed aside by the giant arm of Mordred.

"Now who's little?" Mordred boasted as he attempted to stomp on Flint who simply collapsed into a pile of dust, covering the amulet. Then, he forcibly pushed against the giant kid's foot, knocking him off balance as he fell to the floor painfully.

Superman quickly pulled the girl out of harm's way before returning to the battle as Mordred fired beams of magic from his eyes that caused two stone dragons to come to life and attack the heroes.

"I know this is the wrong thing to say right now, but you gotta admit. Giant dragons? Always cool" Flint grinned before one of the aforementioned dragon's swung its tail at Sandman, knocking his dust everywhere.

"Not the time Flint!" Batman called as he dodged a swipe from the other dragon's clawed hand. It tried again to claw the hero before then attempting to swallow him. Luckily, Wonder Woman managed to throw her magic lasso around the dragon's jaws, sealing them tight before she swung the lasso over her shoulder and sending it into the ground. Once it hit the floor, it shattered to pieces as flint sent one last punch at the remaining dragon before it also shattered.

The two then made their way back into the castle, meeting with Superman and the little girl before Batman and Green Lantern followed in behind them as the giant Mordred continued to chase them. Superman and Wonder Woman quickly closed the door to the castle as thee heroes attempted to barricade it.

Mordred growled in frustration before pounding on the door repeatedly. "Come out of my castle! Your king commands it!" he yelled as he continued his barrage, the heroes meanwhile huddled together as they tried to come up with a plan.

"I got a plan!" Green Lantern said with an ecstatic grin "I'll make some giant handcuffs and-"

"Forget it" Batman interrupted before shaking his head. "We gotta focus on…" he started before noticing Green Lantern's crestfallen expression, causing him to reconsider what he said. "Never mind what I said, we'll take care of everything else; Lantern, you go crazy"

Superman punched a hole in a nearby wall as everyone quickly filed out, leaving Lantern behind to get ready. The group moved out behind some rocks where Etrigan was hiding as Flint looked back at the giant Mordred.

"You sure this'll work Bats?" he asks skeptically.

"Hopefully" the dark knight replied as Flint gave him an unsure look.

"Don't worry, we'll stop him. We always do" Wonder Woman assures them as they all nod.

* * *

Mordred finally managed to break down the door, and he burst into the castle expecting to see the Justice League. Instead he found…

"Hey Junior! How 'bout picking on someone your own size?" Green Lantern called as he piloted a massive mech suit, made from his ring's willpower.

Mordred sized up the mech before taking on a sadistic grin as he cracked his knuckles eagerly. "You're so dead!" Mordred laughed before charging.

In response, Green Lantern created missile launchers on the shoulders of his mech before firing a massive barrage to the charging sorcerer. Once the smoke from all the explosions cleared, Mordred was visibly unharmed. However, he opted to change his outfit into a suit of plate armour as he conjured a large poleax. Mordred grinned confidently before charging the Lantern. Lantern quickly fired a massive cannon blast from his mech's arm, but the villain paid it no mind as he thrust his axe through the stomach of the mech and pinning it to the ground.

The large construct vanished, leaving the Lantern stranded on the ground as Mordred smiled victoriously. "Did you really think you could beat me in that piece of junk?" the young wizard laughed as Lantern merely shrugged in response.

"Wasn't really trying" he laughed as Mordred raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Suddenly, he felt a tug as Superman attempted to pull the amulet off of him. "Treachery!" he yelled as Superman finally pulled the amulet free, however Mordred grasped him firmly as he tried to get away. Stuck in Mordred's grip he tossed the amulet to Batman, who was unfortunately caught by Mordred's other hand. He threw the amulet to Wonder Woman as she ran off to take cover behind some rocks. Mordred however sent a blast of magic from his eyes, pulling her towards him.

At the last second, she tossed the Amulet towards the rocks where Flint reached a massive hand of sand out to catch it. "Got it!" he grinned as Mordred glared at him.

"You don't have the ability to wield that! None of you do!" Mordred shouts as Flint shrugs.

"That's true. But, I'm not looking to use it" he smirked before expanding the size of his hand and crushing the Amulet firmly in his grip.

Mordred's eyes widened before he yelled in frustration, dropping the Leaguers before his shouts eventually turned to a mocking laughter.

"You fools!" he taunted as he shrunk to his original size, instead levitating off of the ground as magic energy swirled all around him. "I've already absorbed too much of the amulet's power!"

The six heroes, Etrigan included, suddenly found themselves lifted into the air and hung upside down as Mordred summoned a large spiked sword into his hand and approached the heroes.

"Now" he smirked as he looked over all of the heroes with a superior grin. "I'll take care of my kingly duties myself" he finished before raising the sword above his head. However, before he could start swinging he was stopped when the little girl from before stood in his way.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"I'm scared" the girl whimpered before looking up at him with tears. "I want my mommy"

"You don't need a mommy. You're better off without one; trust me" Mordred said plainly as the girl started to cry.

"Stop it" Mordred said in irritation before glaring. "Stop it!" he shouted, quickly losing his temper over the lack of allegiance,

"Some king" Superman drawled sarcastically as Wonder Woman rolled her eyes.

"I'm not impressed"

"What'd you expect?" Batman interjected. "He's a boy, doing a man's job"

"You don't know what it's like, being stuck as a kid" Mordred said, approaching the floating heroes as he left his sword behind.

"Since you got all that power, you could have been big any time you wanted" Batman continued as Flint nodded.

"Aw man, don't tell me you didn't think of that" he laughed as Batman smirked.

"I'll bet you were too chicken to grow up"

"Yep" Lantern agreed with a laugh. "Big chicken, that's what you are"

"He's not just a chicken. He's a momma's boy too!" Flint added as Mordred looked at them furiously.

"I'll show you! I'll show you all!" he yelled before vanishing in a flash of purple light, and reappearing as a tall, muscular man, easily in his early twenties.

"I'm older than you now" he called in a superior tone.

"You sure are" Batman agreed, his smirk becoming even wider as Mordred only then realised his mistake.

His body swiftly became transparent before he disappeared from sight, and the magic binding the heroes released them as they all landed on the ground.

* * *

Mordred looked around with a scowl as he noticed he had been transported to the prison dimension he had created for the adults.

"They cheated!" he pouted before clenching his fists. "After I fix this, they're toast!" he shouted before attempting to summon his magic, but when nothing happened he looked at his hands in confusion. "What's wrong with me? Where's my power?"

"You've used it all" a voice called as Mordred turned to see his mother standing behind him, and quickly advancing towards him. "Don't you realize what you've done?" Morgaine asked as Mordred suddenly took on a panicked expression.

"What? WHAT!?"

* * *

All across the world, Mordred's spell wore off as the adults found themselves reunited with their children back on earth.

The heroes stood around, back at the gold reserve as Morgaine reappeared before them and the now returned villains. For a moment, she almost considered killing them before waving her hands. "A bargain is a bargain" she sighed before casting the reverse sell and returning the heroes to the correct age, including the baby Etrigan who was being held in Wonder Woman's arms now returning to his normal age.

She looked down at the demon who looked back at her in confusion. "Mommy" he said before she dropped him to the ground.

"Wait" Batman said as Morgaine turned to leave. "What happened to Mordred?" he asked.

"My spell granted him eternal youth, but now he's broken it. All he has is eternal life" Morgaine explained before disappearing through a portal she conjured, leaving the Leaguers to their own devices.

"So everything is back to normal right? The day is saved?" Copperhead asked as Flint nodded.

"Yep" he confirmed as the villain sighed in relief. "You're still going to jail though"

"Aw" the snake themed man pouted as Batman looked outside at the reuniting families.

"Circumstances aside, it was actually enjoyable to be a kid again" Wonder Woman said as she approached him.

Batman shook his head without turning to look at the others. "I haven't been a kid since I was eight years old" he said plainly before walking off as the police came to collect the villains. The other heroes looked at him solemnly before following him back outside.

* * *

Far across the world, a large stone castle stood ominously as a dark thunderstorm circled overhead. Inside the main chamber of the castle, a large armchair sat in front of a fire place as Morgaine walked through a portal and into the room. The sorceress walked to a small side table as she took a hand towel and approached the armchair.

"Did you miss mommy?" she asked as she stepped in front of the chair and looked down at a feeble old man who slouched in the chair, unresponsive.

Morgaine took the towel before wiping away a small bit of droll that was slowly dripping from the corner of the man's open mouth.

"Don't you worry baby" Le Fay said in a soothing voice. "Mommy's going to take good care of you… _From now on_ " she said before the old man gave a weak nod, understanding her intention.

* * *

 **Yeah this chapter was mostly filler, but I promise you guys the next chapter will continue the plot.**

 **After all, Sandman is about to find out just how hard a Kryptonian can hit!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	7. Reunions

**And I'm back with another chapter!**

 **Just as a bit of a heads up, I might not be uploading another one after this for a few weeks. The semester is almost over and so all of the last minute papers have just been assigned, on top of finals (joy), but I'll still try my best to get a chapter out for you guys.**

 **In other news, I am still looking for a new beta, just to look over the chapters I finish and give them a quick read through in order to make sure they flow well, and have few mistakes in the way of consistency and grammar. Anyone interested in the job can just PM me and we'll see what we can do.**

 **And as always to answer your questions:**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Why yes they will. In this chapter in fact.**

 **Disclaimer: As always I own nothing. All Marvel characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. All Justice League and related characters are owned by DC comics and Warner Entertainment.**

 **With all that said, on to the chapter!**

* * *

Monitor duty was notorious for being one of the most boring jobs in the League. You sit in front of dozens of computers, surveying various cities of importance, locations where the League was providing aid, and occasionally supervillain prisons. Every member of the League would have to do the job at one point or another, working in carefully laid out shifts through the week to make sure they could still keep a normal life with everything else they had to contend with. This is where Flint was currently sitting, bored out of his mind as he watched the various images flicker across the screens.

"Let's see, Metropolis nothing. Gotham, nothing. Belle Revve, nothing. Damn it, why did I want to take monitor duty again?" he asked himself before sighing out of boredom as Flash entered the room.

"Hey sandcastle, how's monitor duty treating you?" he asked with a smirk as Flint raised his eyebrow.

"You can sit in this chair for three straight hours and find out" Flint retorted as the speedster chuckled lightly.

"Fat chance. I'm not taking monitor duty when it's not my scheduled night. I already have it all worked out so my shift goes on during the season premieres of my favourite shows"

"Wait you can do that?" Flint asked in surprise as Flash nodded.

"Yep. That one blank screen? That's for freeform surveillance of any camera in the world…" he explained before smirking. "Or any channel in the world"

"That definitely helps" Flint sighs in relief before watching some members of an away team finish up with a large oil fire in Texas. Among the Leaguers was Zatanna, and Flash took note quickly before coming up with an idea.

"So, you gonna ask her out yet?" Flash asks as Flint turns to look at him.

"Don't ask this now" he groaned, looking away.

"Oh I'm asking it now. After all, they've just returned to the Watchtower. The report will be filed by Mr. Terrific, as usual. Zatanna will go to the cafeteria to get a coffee, as usual, and at that time your monitor duty will be finished and John will be here to take over for you" Flash explains as Flint shakes his head.

"You're over thinking this" he says before the door opens and John stepped in.

"Alright Flint, I'm taking over for you. You can head on out" the Lantern said as Flint turned to look at a smirking Flash.

"I hate you" he muttered as the speedster shook his head.

"I know"

* * *

"Listen I know you're gonna keep pestering me about this, but I'm not gonna do it" Flint pressed as Flash placed a hand around Flint's shoulders.

"C'mon man. You gotta do it sometime. If Arrow can ask out Canary, you can ask out Zatanna" he pressed.

"Wait he actually asked her out? How'd that one go?" Flint asks in surprise.

"Well, the first two attempts didn't go so well, but the third time she agreed. Now I think they're up to date number ten" Flash said, placing a hand on his chin as Flint shook his head with a laugh.

"Unbelievable"

"What's unbelievable?" Zatanna asked as Flint turned to see the magician standing behind him, with Flash now nowhere to be found, having quickly retreated to watch the fun.

'Oh that traitor' Flint cursed inwardly before he cleared his throat. "Oh just that news I heard about Dinah and Oliver. Can you believe she said yes?"

"Barely. I can also barely believe she agreed to nine more dates" she added with a laugh as Flint chuckled.

"Same here" he nodded before sighing. 'Oh Flash will never let me live this down' he thought before looking back up at her. "Hey listen, did you want to go get some dinner later?" he asks.

"You mean, like a date?" she asks, her mouth slowly turning to a smile.

"Yeah a date. I mean, if you want to that is" he adds, rubbing the back of his neck before she nodded.

"That sounds great. How does tonight sound?" she asks as he nods.

"Sure, I'm free" Flint agreed before looking out of the corner of his eye and seeing Green Arrow hand Flash a ten dollar bill.

Before any more could be said however, Batman suddenly entered before looking at Flint seriously. "Flint, there's a situation going on that you might want to see"

"What kind of situation?" Flint asked as the dark knight looked around carefully.

"I can't tell you here. Come with me to the monitor room" he said as Flint nodded.

"Aright I'll be there" he nodded before sighing as Batman left. "Think the date can wait for a bit?"

"I'm sure it can. Just don't be too long" Zatanna smirked as Flint walked to the monitor room, closely followed by Flash who had heard the entire conversation and wanted to see the situation for himself.

* * *

"What's the situation Bruce?" Superman asked as Flash and Sandman entered, becoming the last members of the League to be present for the meeting as they joined the other founders.

"Lantern's found something while on monitor duty that may be of interest" Batman nodded before John took over.

"About five minutes ago, the computer detected an anomaly coming from the gotham waterfront. The cameras, managed to pick this up." He explained before turning their attention to a recording of the footage the cameras picked up.

On the screen, a small blue light shone before expanding into a large circular vortex that shimmered with a silver light. Flint immediately recognized it and leaned closer to look.

"That looks like the vortex that brought me here" he said in surprise as the Lantern nodded.

"Now keep watching" he urged before four people were seen appearing out of the vortex as it disappeared. Three of them wore matching blue uniforms, with a number four displayed on the centre of their chests. One was a man with greying brown hair, holding some sort of scanner. The other man with him was more youthful, with blond hair that stuck up in the front. Between the two of them was a blonde woman who looked around the docks intently. Behind them was a large man who looked like he was made of orange rocks, with blue shorts to match the others displaying the four instead as a belt buckle. The final member of the group was a thin individual who was covered head to toe in a red and blue costume, covered with web designs and a black spider on his chest.

"Do you recognize any of them?" Superman asked as Flint stood up, his eyes wide with realization as he tried to process what he just saw.

"Y-yeah I do. The man holding that scanner is Reed Richards, also known as Mr. Fantastic. The blonde woman is his wife Susan, the Invisible Woman, and that blond guy next to her? Her brother Johnny Storm, the Human Torch" he started as the others listened intently. "That large rock man is Ben Grimm, also known as the Thing. And finally, that guy in the red and blue tights, is the wall-crawling pain in the ass known as the spectacular Spider-Man. They're heroes from my world." he finished before leaning back on the table.

"Do you think they could be looking for you?" Diana suggested.

"I'm not sure. If they are, I don't know why" Flint sighed as Batman looked back at the recording.

"Perhaps they're trying to bring you back" he mused before Flint looked up sharply.

"You think so?" he asked as Superman stepped forward.

"Whatever the case, I think it's important that they know you're here."

"Alright, I'll head to the transporters then" he nodded before Superman stopped him.

"Not alone. Diana and I will come with you" he said with a smile.

* * *

"Are you picking anything up yet Reed?" Susan asked in earnest as her husband shook his head.

"Not yet, but we've only been here for ten minutes. Given the size of this city alone, it may take some time before we pick up any trace of him. This location was chosen due to the large frames of time he's spent here. This is our best shot at finding him, but we have to stay patient"

"I don't know Reed, what happens if people here aren't used to super-powers? We might end up scaring the police or something" Johnny said skeptically as Thing nodded.

"I'm with matchstick here. We might attract attention if we're not careful" his large friend nodded while Reed shook his head.

"Listen, if the authorities are called in we can explain that it's just a misunderstanding and we mean no harm" he assures his team as Spider-Man walked next to him.

"And if they don't buy the misunderstanding excuse?" the wall-crawler asked as Reed looked up.

"Then Susan should be able to give us the perfect opportunity to escape using her powers.

The others frowned but continued onwards as Flint, Superman, and Wonder Woman were transported to the other side of a warehouse from where the non-native superheroes searched.

"How should we approach them?" Diana asked as Superman thought for a moment.

"Maybe the two of us should go first, and then Flint after. We want to make sure that they know we're friendly after all" he mused before Flint nodded.

"Sounds good to me. I'll be right behind you Boy Scout" he nodded as the two Leaguers walked on ahead of him.

"Listen Reed, maybe one of us should scout ahead or something" Susan offered before shrugging. "I could just go invisible to look around or-"

"Wait, my spider-sense!" Spider-Man interjected. "Somebody's coming"

"Someone good, or someone bad?" Johnny asked nervously as the five turned to see a rather muscular man in a blue costume with a large "S" on his chest and wearing a red cape approaching them, flanked on his side by a woman in a red and blue costume with white stars, a silver tiara with matching bracelets, and a lasso tied firmly to her hip.

"Greetings, my name is Reed…" Reed started.

"Richards, we know. Our friend is rather well acquainted with you. My name is Superman, and this is Wonder Woman. We're members of the Justice League"

"Superman? Wonder Woman? Justice League?" Johnny muttered with a smirk. "Isn't that just a little too corny?" he snickered before Sue elbowed him roughly.

"Johnny!" she admonished her brother before a third figure started appearing from the shadows.

"Listen Johnny, no matter how quiet you whisper, he'll hear you. Trust me, I know" Flint said, slight nervousness in his voice as he stepped out alongside his League companions.

"Flint? Is that really you?" Spider-Man asked as the former villain nodded.

"You know it web-head" he nodded before stepping forward and shaking his hand firmly.

"And these individuals here? I assume you were the friend they were referring to" Reed asked.

"Yep. That's me. And don't worry, they're heroes. Got a team and everything, and I'm on it"

"You've joined a team of heroes?" Susan repeated as Flint nodded in confirmation.

"Guess I should explain everything to ya then, huh? Well come on, there's drinks at my place" he says with a grin as Thing looked up eagerly.

"Got my favourite brew at your place?" he asked as Sandman laughed.

"You bet" he confirmed before reaching his hand to his ear. "Watchtower, Ready transport for eight" he called as Reed looked at him curiously.

"Watchtower?"

"Transport?" Spider-Man asked as the eight heroes were suddenly teleported to Flint's home in Miami.

* * *

As the three League members approached the steps, Flint turned back to check on his guests, who were still trying to process what just happened. "I know, it shook me up at first too. But you get used to it after a while" he shrugged before the others followed him inside.

"Instantaneous matter transportation. Fascinating" Reed said, intrigued as Flint guided them to the chairs in his living room before bringing out the drinks. "I should probably start from the beginning then" he said plainly as Thing grabbed a bottle.

"That would be best. At least, to catch us up on what happened" Susan nodded before Flint informed them of his time in the other universe.

As the others listened intently, Flint recounted to them the story of how the vortex left him Metropolis, about how he helped to fight the Thanagarian invasion, as well as talking about how he had been a member of the League for the last few weeks. Some events, such as the Black Mercy were left out for his own sake, but the rest of the missions were at least referenced.

"Wow. You've certainly been busy Flint" Sue said with a small smile as Flint shrugged.

"Yeah it's been kind of busy. But, enough about me. What have I missed? Anything important?" He asked eagerly as Spider-man nodded, taking a sip from his bottle as his mask was rolled just over his nose so he could drink.

"Well, most of our time has been spent looking for you. After Wizard sent you away, Cap knocked him out in a second. After that, our smartest minds have been working non-stop to replicate the device so we could find you"

"Really? You've been spending all that time looking for me?" Flint asked in surprise as Johnny nodded.

"Yeah man, we raided Wizard's base and everything to find whatever we needed to bring you back. We didn't know if wherever you were sent was dangerous or not" Johnny added as Flint smiled softly.

"Well, gee you guys. I don't know what to say" he said with a small laugh before looking up. "Did you get the Wizard at least?" he asked as the others suddenly looked away.

"We thought so at first. But it turns out, the Wizard we arrested was just a decoy. The real one is still out there somewhere" Sue admitted before sighing. "We're sorry"

"Hey, don't worry about it. That's old news." Flint assured her before Spider-Man finished his drink and pulled his mask back down.

"So, it's been a fun time but we really should get back. Cap will want to know if you're alright" he said as Johnny looked at him funny.

"Are you kidding? Cap will be wondering why the hell we didn't bring him back" he said in confusion before Flint looked up sharply.

"Bring me back? You were gonna take me back home?" he asks suddenly as Reed nodded and stood up.

"That was the original intention, yes, but with it being clear that you have a new life here, it would be selfish to take you away from it." The scientist admitted before Flint frowned.

"Take me back…" he muttered before mulling it over. "I will admit… at first I was eager to get home but… now I'm not so sure. I have a new home here, and a new responsibility to the League. I can't just pack up and leave that"

"We understand Flint. We won't force you to leave if you don't want to" Susan said kindly as Reed handed Flint a small device.

"This device will open a portal to our world. If you ever want to visit, even for a bit, just press the button in the centre" he explained as Spider-Man handed Flint a phone-like device.

"And this will allow you to communicate with us. If you ever want to chat, or if you need to ask anything, just give us a shout okay? It follows the regular avengers' communicator schematics so you'll be able to single one of us out to talk"

Flint took both of the gifts before nodding with a sad smile. "Thanks. I really mean it. It was good to see you, and having these? It makes home feel… a little bit closer"

"Hey don't worry about it" Johnny said with a grin. 'And if you ever need advice with the ladies, I can always lend a hand" he said before Sue rolled her eyes and elbowed him again.

"Thanks but, I think I got that covered. Speaking of which, I actually have a date scheduled for later tonight" he shrugged as Johnny grinned wider.

"Right on" the Storm brother said before Thing clapped Flint on the shoulder.

"It was good seeing you sandbox" he smirked.

"Right back at you rock pile" he returned before he went to shake Spider-Man's hand.

"You take care Flint" the web-slinger said kindly. "And do try to stay out of trouble"

"I will. Take care webs. Make sure Cap doesn't worry too much" he laughs before the five heroes exited the house, with Flint and the Leaguers waving from the door.

"It was nice meeting you" Diana called before Reed reopened the vortex and the five left after saying their final goodbyes.

"Well that was nice" Superman nodded before looking at Flint. "So, a date?" he smirks as his team mate rolled his eyes.

"Don't you have a speeding bullet to catch or something?" Flint groaned before Diana pulled Clark away and they flew off, leaving Flint at home to get ready.

* * *

Flint looked in the mirror one last time before nodding with a small grin. He had changed into a much dressier outfit, forgoing the striped shirt for a white collared shirt and a brown suede jacket with brown trousers to match. Overall, he thought he looked pretty good, He just hoped it was fancy enough for his date.

"Alright she'll be here any minute" he muttered to himself before moving to the living room and pacing nervously. "I hope she likes this. I've been out of the dating scene for so long" he frowned before hearing a knock at his door.

'That's gotta be her. Alright, just calm down and act natural' he thought to himself before walking over to the door and opening it wide revealing Zatanna.

On any other day, he couldn't deny that she was attractive, but right now she was absolutely stunning. She wore a white blouse with a black wool cardigan draped over her shoulders, a denim skirt that reached her knees, and black stiletto heels. Her normally free flowing hair was tied back in a high ponytail, except for her bangs, which draped over her eyes and framed her face perfectly. Finally, her makeup was simple, but the dark purples of her lipstick and eye shadow just helped to add to her overall stunning appearance.

"Wow" Flint said plainly as she smiled.

"You look pretty wow yourself" she said before looping her arms around his right arm. "So where you taking me? Somewhere fancy?" she asked as Flint nodded.

"Yeah, there's a nice Italian place not far from here. I thought you might like it" he suggested as she nodded.

"Italian's always good. I'm just looking forward to a nice quiet dinner" she agreed as they walked off.

* * *

A few hours, and one spell from Zatanna later, the two heroes had arrived back at her house in Gotham as Flint walked her up to the door with a smile.

"I have to say the dinner was good, but I could have done without the villain attack" Flint mused before laughing.

"Well at least be thankful it was Condiment King. He usually takes care of himself, though I have to say, I've never seen restaurant staff attack a villain before" she laughs as Flint shook his head.

"Condiment King, what was he thinking when he came up with that?" he added before stopping at her front door.

Zatanna nodded slightly before looking up at him with a smile. "Well thanks for a nice evening Flint. I had a lot of fun"

"Yeah, so did I" he nodded before brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "We should do this again sometime"

"I'd like that" she agreed before leaning up on her toes and placing a chaste kiss on his lips. "Goodnight Flint. Nruter tnilf ot sih emoh" she finished before stepping inside as Flint was magically transported back to the front door of his house.

He stared blankly before blinking once and smiling, his fingers tracing his lips gently. "Well what do you know?"

* * *

 **And there you have the next chapter finished!**

 **For everyone who was looking forward to seeing Sandman fight Galatea, just need to wait for one more chapter. In the meantime, he'll be going on the hunt for a pig.**

 **As always, be sure to read and review!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	8. This Little Piggy

**Good news everyone! Finals are over, so I'm back with yet another chapter!**

 **Sorry for the long wait, but when you have to write four papers and starting studying for finals it can be a little tough finding time to write. Thankfully that's all done for now, so I can come back to the story, and thank you all for your continued support.**

 **Now to answer a lingering question!**

 **gunman: Yes Condiment King. Really. I just needed some villain so useless that the heroes didn't have to get involved, and he was the first to come to mind.**

 **In any case, continue to leave any and all questions you might have below. I am also still looking for a new beta, so anyone interested in the job just has to send me a quick pm and I'll see what we can do.**

 **I own nothing here except for the story's idea. Sandman is property of Marvel Comics, and therefore Disney. All Justice League and associated characters are owned by DC comics and Warner Brothers.**

 **Now with all that out of the way, on with the story!**

* * *

Among all the cities in the world, Gotham was far and beyond the most crime-ridden. Even beyond the plethora of supervillains who made their home in the corrupt city, there was a large collection of purse snatchers, petty thieves, and mob leaders. Despite the laundry list of crimes that were usually committed, the city was for once, quiet. Batman raised his binoculars as he looked down from a rooftop where Wonder Woman and Sandman were also perched. The three were diligently watching the National History Museum, waiting for a tip on a potential robbery, however several hours of waiting left his team mates rather bored. Even Wonder Woman, a normally patient heroine let out a sigh of exhaustion at how long they were waiting.

"Patience Princess" Batman said absent-mindedly, keeping his eyes focused on their target. "Intergang moves in mysterious ways"

"Tell me about it" she replied in boredom as she leaned against one of the stone gargoyles on the rooftop. "What use could they possibly have for the Rosetta Stone?"

"Maybe they want to learn Swahili" Sandman said snidely as Wonder Woman stifled a small laugh, while Batman just narrowed his eyes.

"Jokes aside, if Intergang wants it, we need to stop it from falling into their hands. So, in the meantime…"

"Yeah yeah. Patience, we get it" Flint sighed before sitting back. He turned his head to notice that Wonder Woman had since taken her attention off of the museum and was instead watching the Iceberg Lounge further down the street. Or, more accurately, she was watching the patrons leaving the lounge. Seeing the couples stepping out and linking arms with each other, affection displayed strongly on their faces, gave the Amazon a look of longing. Flint nodded with a sigh, before looking back at the museum. It made him remember how much he enjoyed his date with Zatanna.

'Maybe I should take her on another one soon' he thought to himself. 'I heard the Lounge has some great food'

"Don't you ever wish you were down there Bruce?" Diana said suddenly, as Flint snapped back to attention.

"I'm down there all I need to be" Batman replied, rather bluntly, as he lowered his binoculars before surveying all along the street.

"Yes but it's just a job to you. I'm talking about going down there an having some fun"

"I don't think Bats has quite discovered what 'fun' means yet" Flint smirked before being silenced with a sudden Bat-Glare.

"I don't have time for fun, or to relax" He answered before turning back to face the museum.

"Not even with someone special?" Diana asked with a coy smile as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Batman, however, didn't even bother to turn around.

"No. No dating for the Batman"

"What about for Bruce Wayne?" Sandman asked before Batman turned around to face them again.

"One: dating within the team always leads to disaster" he started as Flint rolled his eyes.

'He's got to be more naïve than Clark if he misses everyone in the League already dating' Flint thought to himself.

"Two: you're a princes from a society of immortal warriors. I'm a rich kid with issues. _Lots_ of issues. And three: if my enemies knew I had someone special, they wouldn't rest until they got to me through her" hr finished before Diana suddenly punched a hole clean through the head of the gargoyle she was leaning against.

"Next?" she asked as Flint snickered.

"Oh careful there. Sure the gargoyle is no challenge, but what about Calendar Man?" Flint joked before he and Diana broke into a fit of laughter.

"What about you?" Batman asked, his eyes narrowed and arms folded as he turned to face Flint.

"What about me? I mean yeah me and Z went on a date. So what? We both know what we're getting into. Besides, shouldn't you be lecturing the risks of dating to Oliver first?" Flint retorted.

Before Batman could respond however, the sound of a sudden alarm reached their ears. "There!" Batman said before pointing to a dark figure trying to flee down an alleyway as he sprang into action, leading his team mates.

"Saved by the bell" Wonder Woman remarked as Flint nodded.

"Yeah, saved from impending boredom"

* * *

Despite the mask covering the thieves' face, their bodysuit did nothing to hide their obvious curves as they jammed a crowbar into a notch between a side door of the museum and its frame. She slowly started to work the bar back and forth, trying to wedge it open. However, she was stopped when a batarang embedded itself in an electric panel next to the door.

The thief turned to see Batman, flanked by Wonder Woman and Sandman. Batman's eyes were forming his signature glare while the other heroes looked somewhat confused and disappointed.

"Just a common thief. What happened to Intergang?" Wonder Woman asked.

"J'onn must've had a bad tip. It happens" Batman answered plainly before holding his hand out to the thief. "I'll take the crowbar"

"Whatever you say" the thief replied before throwing the crowbar. However, the bar turned into a viper mid-air, baring its fangs, ready to strike. Batman dodged to the side as the viper fell to the ground harmlessly and vanished into the shadows. "That trick always wins over big in Egypt"

"Well that's just odd" Flint deadpans before the thief raised her arms and summoned a purple shimmering mist. When she stepped out of the mist, the bodysuit was gone and in its place was short teal strapless dress with gold trimmings, and sleeves that came halfway to her elbows. With her mask gone, her long purple hair now flowed freely, with large golden earrings adorning her face.

"Circe!" Wonder Woman exclaimed in realization. "Be careful, she's-"

"Yeah. I've read the Odyssey" Batman interrupted before throwing a barrage of batarangs at the sorceress. Circe wasn't fazed at all and slimly waved her hand, causing the batarangs to turn into doves and fly away.

"That it for you?" she asked in a superior fashion before a large fist of sand knocked her back across the alley. "You dare strike me?!" she screeched as Flint shrugged.

"It's my job" he replied simply as Wonder Woman stepped forward.

"What are you doing here witch? I thought you were banished" she demanded as Circe rose to her feet.

"They needed more space down below, so they paroled me" she answered with a smirk. "Of course I had to promise to leave your mommy dearest alone before they'd let me out"

"Mother sent her to the pits of Tartarus" Diana explained to her team mates. "Circe had a nasty habit of turning innocent people into animals"

"I'm real good at it too" Circe chimed in before Batman interrupted.

"So I've read. Let's not give her another chance" he said before the three heroes charged forwards. In response, Circe raised her arm and blasted them away with a burst of magic, sending Batman and Wonder Woman into a wall and spraying Flint's sand everywhere.

Diana recovered first before charging quickly. Before she could strike, a large concrete hand erupted from the ground before it grasped her firmly. She struggled against its grasp in vain as Circe smirked. "I promised to leave your mother alone little princess…" she chuckled as she approached. "But nobody said anything about you. Rest assured, after I get done with you…"

One of Flint's mallets suddenly connected with her, sending her sprawling back down the alley once again. "Boom! Two for two!"

"Do you even know who you're messing with?" Circe snarled again as Flint cracked his knuckles.

"That's some pretty big talk lady" Flint mused as Circe stood before firing a blast of energy. The energy however passed through his sand harmlessly before striking the wall. "Ooh so close. Try again" he laughed before another blast flew through him to the same effect. "Better luck next time"

"What sorcery is this?" he said before suddenly receiving an idea. Sending another beam of energy, this time directed at a car parked outside the alley.

"Okay that wasn't even close" Flint said in a disappointed tone before he heard a mechanical roar. Turning around, he saw the car had transformed into a large monster, approximately nine feet tall, which let loose a guttural roar, oil dripping from its grill which had since turned into a pair of jaws.

"You know what? I think I'd prefer the boredom now" Flint said bluntly before dodging one of the monster's strikes as he tried to lead it out of the alley.

* * *

Batman, meanwhile, had finally recovered and looked up to see Circe once again advancing on Wonder Woman. He quickly threw two more batarangs towards her, but she dodged them before knocking him back with more magic.

"Now where was I?" She mused with a victorious smirk as she turned to face Wonder Woman. "Ah, that's right. After I get done with you, Hippolyta won't want you for a daughter, and your pointy-eared boyfriend won't want you for anything" she grinned before raising her palms in front of Wonder Woman's face and beginning to cast a magical glow on her. Batman looked up, in time to gasp before shielding his eyes from the intensity of the light's glow.

* * *

After the glow had subsided, Batman looked around and saw no sign of the purple-haired sorceress. However, he also saw no sign of Wonder Woman, as the large concrete hand that held her was gone. "Diana?" he asked, not receiving a response. "Diana!" he called louder before suddenly feeling a brush against his leg. Looking down, his eyes suddenly widened in surprise before his gaze was drawn back up by pained groans.

The large car monster from before was doubled over, groaning in pain before large outward dents could be seen, as though it were being punched from the inside out. Suddenly, another hit punched a large hole straight through the metal revealing one of Flint's large sandy fists. His sand then poured out before reforming his body. "You put up a good fight" he panted before reaching back in and pulling out the battery as the monster fell on its side, unmoving. Afterwards, he dropped the battery before walking to his team mate. "You okay Bats? Where's Diana?" he asked before looking down in shock.

Sitting at the dark knight's feet was a pig. However, what surprised him was the silver bracelets on its forelegs. "Is that…?" he asked as Batman nodded grimly.

"This must be the extent of Circe's revenge" Batman said as they watched the pig sniffing around the alley.

"A little cliché for her honestly" he sighed before looking at their transformed team mate again. "So what do we do now?"

"Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do" Batman said, cupping his chin. "Unless you know anything about magic"

"Sorry, but I don't know anything about magic" Flint sighs before suddenly having an idea. "But we know someone who does"

* * *

Across Gotham City, Zatanna smiled to herself as she stepped backstage after finishing her show. It was another packed venue, much to her delight as she entered her dressing room and hung up her hat. However, once the door closed she sat down in front of a crystal ball before using it to replay her show, frowning slightly as she watched.

"Hmm, a little slow on the switch" she said critically before stroking her chin thoughtfully. "Gotta watch that"

Her analysis was cut short however, as a shadow fell over the ball. She turned around before chuckling lightly and seeing Batman and Sandman standing behind her.

"What was it, some sort of hologram?" Batman asked. "Or was it the real thing?"

She smirked in response before shrugging. "It's called sorcery, Bruce" she laughed before standing. "Usually I played it straight, but for the big closer I throw in any little _dazzle_ " she said, emphasizing with bright blue sparkles dancing around her fingertips.

"Don't listen to him. The show was great" Flint chuckled as Zatanna shot him a grin.

"Flattery will get you nowhere" she laughed before returning her attention to Bruce. "But enough about my secrets, what have you been up to? We haven't seen each other in so long"

"Can we discuss that later" Batman retorted in his usual blunt fashion. "Someone's in trouble"

Zatanna immediately took on a more serious expression. "Who? What kind of trouble?"

"Well…" Batman began, looking off to the side as Flint shook his head.

"It's Diana. She's had a spell cast on her and…" he started before Batman continued.

"I think you should see for yourself" Batman suggested.

A few minutes later and the heroes were outside, looking at the transformed Wonder Woman who was currently sitting inside the batmobile. "Ew" Zatanna commented before placing a hand on her chin thoughtfully. "Circe huh? It was all over the magical Ethernet that she made parole. I'll see what I can do"

"Might want to take her inside so she doesn't run off" Flint comments before carefully lifting the pig as the three heroes returned to Zatanna's dressing room and Flint set his team mate back on the ground.

Zatanna picked up her wand before focusing her magic, causing a shimmering blue light to surround the pig. "Lleps eb nekorb!" she said as the shimmering disappeared. However, the spell appeared to have no effect. Zatanna blinked in surprise before trying the spell again, however it had the same result. She paused and thought for a moment before nodding. "Anaid, emoceb namuh" she tried, but once again, nothing happened. "Well, I gave it my best shots. I guess my powers run a distant second to those of a goddess. We could call in one of the other lead magicians. Doctor Fate maybe" she suggested.

"No!" Batman said suddenly, almost shouting before he regained his calmer demeanor. "I mean, let's keep this between us"

"But why?" Zatanna asked in confusion. "If there is a chance to help Diana, shouldn't we tell-"she started before Flint shook his head and gestured with his hand. Batman had since crouched down on the ground, holding the pig almost protectively.

"Oh. Wait, wait" she said in sudden realization. "You and her, are you two-"

"Just good friends" Batman said defensively as he stood up.

"No, you and I are just good friends" Zatanna said shaking her head. "There's something more between you and Diana"

"Well" Batman started, looking away slightly. "Maybe there was" he admitted quietly.

"Don't worry bats. We'll figure somethin' out" Flint assured the detective as Zatanna hummed thoughtfully.

"I'm beginning to think only Circe can turn our chubby friend here back into Wonder Woman" she frowned as she tried to find her with her crystal ball. "And lord only knows where she is right now"

"Is there some way to locate her? Like a spell or something?" Flint asked as Zatanna suddenly grinned.

"Flint you're a genius. A locator spell should find her, no problem. Just need to collect a few ingredients first"

"Can we find these ingredients here in Gotham" Batman asked seriously.

"Yes, and I know just the man to help us"

* * *

A short trip across the city later, and the three heroes (plus one pig) walked into a small store that stood on a darkened street corner. The shelves inside were adorned with all sorts of strange items and artifacts, ranging from animal skeletons to statues. There were also a large collection of books and tomes, each with their own language and covering of dust. However, the heroes were currently focused on the storekeeper, who Zatanna was staring at in frustration.

"Come on Sid, are you gonna sell me the Chimera scale or not?" she asked in irritation as the man frowned, his bushy eyebrows furrowing.

"You know the rules" he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "The elements of magic always come at a price, and I don't take cash or plastic" he said before taking notice of the pig who was wandering the store. "Hey is that thing housebroken?" he asked as Batman picked up the pig gently.

"I'll take care of her" Batman nodded before exiting the store.

Once the detective had left, Zatanna turned back to Sid expectantly. "Now, about that final ingredient I need for my locator spell" she began as Sid thought for a moment, a sudden smirk coming to his face.

"It's all yours for one silver good-luck fin; mid-Ching dynasty if you'd please"

"What?! That is robbery!" Zatanna said in shock.

"What robbery? I'm giving it to you at a cost" Sid defended as Zatanna gave him an accusing glare.

"It's a total rip. I could conjure it up for nothing" she said as Sid gave a short barking laugh.

"Try it. Chimera scale is nearly impossible to get, by magic or not. And I'm this dimensions only supplier" he shot back as Flint raised an eyebrow. Everything here was way over his head, but he knew that time wasn't exactly something they could afford to waste.

"Z, we don't have time to be picky here" he urged before the magician sighed in frustration.

"Okay, you win. Esrup raeppa" she conjured before a small coin purse appeared in her hand as she looked inside for the fin. After a moment, she withdrew a large white coin before handing it over as Sid looked it over carefully.

"Thank you" he said with a superior smile before pocketing the coin and giving them the scale.

Batman had since returned inside with the pig as Sid assisted Zatanna in setting up a table with the ingredients required, placing down the Chimera scale alongside a silver ankh, a plate of white powder, and a doll. After everything was arranged Sid lit three candles that surrounded the ingredients while Zatanna raised her hands before closing her eyes.

"I call upon the spirits of earth and air to reveal our enemy and make her whereabouts known" she said before opening her eyes and looking to Sandman and Batman. "The incantation works better forwards than backwards"

"Whatever" Batman dismissed as Flint shrugged.

"I still don't get magic" he said plainly as Zatanna closed her eyes again, blue energy swirling all around the store before focusing on the table with the objects.

"Circe, show yourself" Zatanna commanded before the energy suddenly shot up in a bright pillar of light, forcing Batman, Sandman, and Sid to shield their eyes. The light then dissipated before being replaced with smoke as Zatanna groaned in frustration.

"Well, that was a load of nothing" she groaned as Flint looked shocked.

"You mean Circe is too powerful for the spell to detect?"

"Then there's not much anybody can do" Sid surmised before Zatanna rounded on him.

"Then what was the point of all this? Give me my coin back" she demanded, holding her hand out.

"Sorry kid, no refunds" Sid laughed nervously before Batman called their attention.

"Zatanna! Sandman! She's gone!" he said seriously as the heroes noticed a distinct lack of their pig comrade.

"Damn" Flint cursed before running outside with Batman and Zatanna. Zatanna, however stopped in the doorway before turning to see Sid admiring the coin. "Dnufer!" she cast as the coin disappeared from his hand and into hers.

* * *

The three heroes ran all across Gotham, searching restlessly for their missing friend, but to no avail. Eventually, Batman called the others back to regroup as they gathered together in the Gotham City Zoo. The three met around a bench on the east side of the zoo, as Zatanna sat down before slipping off one of her heels and rubbing the sole of her foot gently.

"How the hell do you run in those things?" Flint asked as Zatanna shrugged in return.

"Meh. You get used to it in this business" she said before putting her shoe back on and standing. "Well, I guess that's it. From mud-hole to sty, we've looked everywhere"

"Obviously we haven't because we haven't found her yet!" Batman seethed, his bat glare in full force, before he turned back away.

"Hey don't get snippy with me! Zatanna scolded as Flint rolled his eyes in exasperation. "How many other girls would go out of their way for a cold, insensitive-"she started before Flint looked up in the tree above them.

"Uh bats?" he asked before a new figure jumped from one of the branches, landing on the bench they were standing around. The figure In question was a muscular man, wearing a leopard print loincloth, a red wrestling mask, with a red scarf wrapped around his waist and red boots. Other than that, he as stark naked.

"Yo bats" the figure greeted as Zatanna jumped back in surprise with a small yelp.

"Relax, he's one of us" Batman explained before the man stood in front of the heroes.

"B'wana Beast" he said, introducing himself before shaking Flint's hand and turning to look at Zatanna. "How're you doin'?" he asked the magician as she followed his gaze.

"My legs are fine, as is the rest of me" she said in irritation before pointing to her face. "Up here"

"Whoa, she's got the fire of the cheetah in her" He laughs with a grin before leaning close and making a loud purring noise. However, he was met with a large fist made of sand pressing against his chin.

"Back off Tarzan" Flint said in irritation as Beast raised his hands in surrender.

"Sorry, but I'm kinda taken" Zatanna laughed before wrapping her arms around Flint's free arm, causing a faint blush to dust his cheeks.

"So why'd you call him in Bats?" Flint asked the detective.

"Apart from being an expert tracker, he can communicate with animals" Batman explained. "I called him in to help search." He said before turning to face Beast. "We're looking for a lost pig. Pink. 60 pounds. Wearing two silver bracelets" he started before looking down and adding in a quieter voice "…used to be Wonder Woman"

"Right on" Beast nodded before jerking a thumb backwards. "I'll yank in some of the other guys"

"Let's keep the circle small" Batman pressed seriously before tracing a circle with his fingers. " _Very_ small"

B'wana Beast nodded in understanding before giving a quick thumbs off and leaping away, in various animalistic styles as he exited the zoo.

"Well, that was odd" Flint said in deadpan fashion before they left the zoo.

* * *

Despite the added help of B'wana beast, the heroes were still no closer to finding the missing pig. Even after calling in the help of Red Tornado, Elongated Man, and the Crimson Avenger they were still having no luck. However, all of that seemed to change once B'wana Beast caught a brief glimpse of a pig running through an alley. It was barely in his vision for a second, but there was no mistaking the silver bracelets it wore on its forelegs. Immediately Beast took off after it as he pressed a finger to his communicator. "Bats, Beast. Got a fix on your girl" he announced before running after the pig.

Batman meanwhile gave what appeared to be a relieved sigh (for him at least) before grabbing his own communicator. "Good work" he said simply, while Beast nodded from his end.

"I'll have her ready for pick up in…" Beast started again before trailing off into silence. The three heroes looked at the radio curiously before he started again. "Yeah, look Bats. I think I might've jumped the gun when I said 'found the pig'" he sighed.

"Keep looking" Batman ordered. "Zatanna, Sandman, and I are going after Circe"

"How? The locator spell didn't work" Zatanna asked curiously as Flint nodded.

"You got a plan don't you Bats?"

"It's time for one of my tricks" He said plainly as Flint and Zatanna shared an incredulous look. "We need a snitch" He clarified before he suddenly floored the batmobile and took off down the streets of Gotham, heading for the highway.

* * *

Deep inside a cave, the three Leaguers were carefully making their way down the dark passages. This was no normal cave however, as all of the walls were adorned with carved stone faces, and the entire tunnel had an overall feeling of creeping dread. Finally, the heroes reached the end of a bank, where they encountered a woman with long blonde hair, wearing a toga and a blindfold, and holding a scale in her right hand and a sword in her left. This was Themis.

"Thank you for setting this up" Zatanna started as Themis smiled.

"Please. Your League has done much in my name. When you summoned me, how could I refuse?"

At that moment the sound of rowing could be heard approaching the bank. Out across the foggy waves, a boat slowly came into view captained by two hooded figures. Before the heroes walked to the edge to meet their guest, Themis handed blindfolds to each of them. "Don't look at her directly" she said carefully before they nodded and tied them on.

"Never thought I'd meet somebody straight out of an old myth" Flint laughed as Zatanna shrugged.

"Technically this would be the second" She smirked before the boat reached the shore, and one of the figures stepped off. Once they were on shore, they took their hood off revealing the scaled head and snake hair of Medusa.

Themis greeted her with a nod. "Medusa, you have a chance to earn leniency if you help our visitors. You were Circe's cellmate, weren't you?" she asked as Medusa nodded, looking at Themis.

"C-girl and I did some time together back in the Pit of Eternal Torment. That's where they hang you by your ankles and weasels come each night to eat your fingers off" She explained as Zatanna jerked her head back in disgust and Flint gave a low whistle.

"That's gnarly" he commented before Medusa shrugged. "They grow back the next day, but trust me. It gets old real quick"

"But did she ever mention Hippolyta?" Zatanna asked, still slightly unsettled by the image of the Pit.

"Are you kidding?" Medusa scoffed in irritation. "Hippolyta, Hippolyta, all the time _Hippolyta_. 'When I get my hands on Hippolyta' yada-yada!" she ranted as Batman frowned.

"That much we know. We're wasting our time" he said before the heroes turned to leave.

"W-wait, wait!" medusa called as the heroes turned back to face her, "There was one other thing. Circe was always saying she wanted to headline at the amphitheatre"

The three just stared at her confused as she frowned. "The amphitheatre? On Mykonos. Duh!" she explained before smirking. "Seems Circe was wicked jealous of her cousins the Sirens and swore she's someday get her turn on the bandstand. Sophocles got his start there. Aristophanes, all the big names. You know those statues outside the entrance? Mine" she said as she put her hand over her chest.

"Thank you Medusa" Thetis said as she looked at her scale, noticing it lean to the right. "For that you've earned 300 years off your sentence"

"Freedom in 4010. Whoop de doo" Medusa calculated before twirling her finger sarcastically and stepping back into the boat. The rower however, held out his hand to the heroes expectantly.

"Oh, there's a small service charge" Themis explained before Batman reached into his belt and pulled out two pennies, handing them to the ferryman as he started rowing off.

"When you see Circe, tell her I want my curling iron back!" Medusa called to them before the boat vanished from sight.

As the heroes removed their blindfolds and started their trek out of the cave, Sandman cupped his chin in thought. "Wonder how Beast is doing with finding Wonder Woman"

"Can't be much worse than entering the literal underworld" Zatanna chimed in.

* * *

"Aw crap" B'wana Beast dead panned as he hopped over a fence he saw the Wonder Pig pass through, only to find a slaughterhouse full of pigs on the other side. Grimacing inwardly, he jumped into the pen before starting his search once more, however with all of the pigs it was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The pig he was looking for, however was currently running all through the inside of the slaughterhouse, a butcher vainly trying to catch it. Unable to subdue the pig, the butcher frowned before going to a locker and taking out a shotgun. He nodded with a smirk before resuming his chase, eventually cornering it against a stack of barrels.

"Say goodnight pork chop" The butcher grinned before aiming his gun and firing. The pig, however, instinctively crossed its legs, causing the shot to be deflected by the bracelets, much to the butcher's surprise. The butcher shook his head before firing once more, this time the pig ran before he could aim properly and his shot instead broke one of the restraints holding the barrels up, allowing the pig to escape as he was buried in an avalanche of barrels.

* * *

Under the cover of a smoke pellet that Batman threw, the three Leaguers looked up at the Amphitheatre, surrounded by statues Medusa made. Each of them were rather hideous in their expressions as they all seemed to look away in fear.

"Well you have to admit" Zatanna nodded as she inspected them. "Medusa does good work"

"It's pretty consistent" Flint nodded as he looked over the form of an ancient Greek soldier.

"Let's move" Batman said impatiently before the three quickly ascended the stairs and entered the doors of the amphitheatre. Looking around, they eventually found the main stage, where an adoring audience of men was cheering adoringly for Circe. The sorceress had since shed her usual attire for a long red gown with arm length red gloves.

"Thank you, thank you! You've all been so kind tonight" Circe said with a broad smile as she waved to the crowd. "You know, my cousins the Sirens never thought I could sing. Really, they thought they were all that with the 'charm the sailors' routine, but I'm showing them aren't I?"

The crowd, however, watched her with a mixture of fear and silent confusion, unsure how to respond. As the silence grew, Circe slowly developed a dangerous glare, which spurned the men into cheering for her once again. At the sound of their applause, Circe broke into a victorious smile.

"Oh, thank you! I love you all!" she said happily before approaching the microphone on stage again. "Now, are there any requests?" she asked.

"Stcejbo kcatta ecric!"

Circe looked up in confusion as she scanned the crowd. "I'm not sure I know that one…" she started before gasping as she saw a table flying directly at her. It shattered on contact, however she was unharmed, glaring murderously as magic energy swirled around her hands and she looked out at the three Leaguers who took on battle stances.

"Insolent trickster! You dare to strike-" she started before a blast of magic energy, courtesy of Zatanna, cut her off. "You dare to strike-" she tried again before a tablecloth wrapped itself around her face. After struggling for a moment she tore it off with a yell. "Quit it!" she demanded before failing to avoid a grand piano that knocked her across the stage.

"A little overkill, don't you think?" Sandman asked as the heroes stormed the stage.

"I don't think it even hurt her" Zatanna admitted before Circe suddenly jumped back into view, transforming her gown back into her teal and gold dress as she stared at the crowd of men behind her. "Well? Defend your mistress!" she demanded before transforming them into animals who attacked the heroes.

* * *

Back in the slaughterhouse, Wonder Pig continued to give the butchers a merry chase around the building. Every attempt they tried to catch it resulted in failure as it somehow managed to elude them constantly. Eventually, they all managed to corner the pig before jumping at once and pinning it to the ground.

One of the larger butchers stood up, a strong hold on the pig as he shook his head with a laugh. "That'll do pig. That'll do" he sighed before binding its legs. "Good job boys"

Once the bonds were secure, two of the butchers carried it over to a conveyor belt before placing it down. The pig squealed in fear as it attempted to break free, watching the belt slowly move into a processing machine.

"One plate of bacon coming up"

* * *

Batman grunted in frustration as he attempted to hold off a tiger that had him pinned down to the ground. Pushing against the tiger's chest, he brought his knees up before kicking it aside. However, the tiger wasn't done was it pounced at him again. However, the dark knight detective tossed a smoke pellet down to disorient the cat as he used his grapple to gain a better vantage point.

Flint meanwhile, just stood his ground as a bear attempted to swipe at him with its claws futilely, as his sand just sprayed out before reforming his body just as fast. "How you hanging in there Z?" Flint called as he noticed the magician dodging a panther's claws.

"Oh not too bad" she said sarcastically before slowly starting to back towards him.

"Think you can get it to pounce?" he asked before gesturing to a table subtly. It took her a moment but she suddenly understood his point before crouching low as she waited for the large cat to pounce again. It didn't take long as it ran forward before leaping towards her. However, Zatanna pointed her wand at the table with a confident smirk.

"kconk eht rehtnap yawa!" she cast as the table flew into the cat knocking it towards Flint, who ducked quickly as the bear ran forward attempting to tackle him. However, the cat collided with the bear, sending them both sprawling against the wall, knocked out.

The three heroes regrouped before walking back towards Circe, who had been watching from the sidelines. "You three are beginning to remind me of Sisyphus after a day pushing his boulder up the mountain" she seethed before summoning more purple energy around her fingers. "But me? I could keep this up all night"

Before she could fire off an attack, Batman stepped forwards, holding back the others with his hand. "Wait. It seems that magic always has a price" he said simply as Circe raised a curious eyebrow, the energy starting to disperse as she watched him.

"And your point is?" the sorceress demanded. Batman lowered his arms in response before leveling his eyes to meet hers. "What would I have to give you to make you lift your spell on Diana?"

"Bats that is a gamble I'm not sure you wanna take man" Flint said, trying to reason with him. Circe, however, smirked almost victoriously as she stepped forward with an intrigued expression.

"Well, know you're getting interesting" the sorceress chuckled before walking closer to him, eyeing him dangerously. "I want something from you that's very precious. Something you've worked very hard to conceal: she started as Flint and Zatanna gave her wary expressions, and Batman's eyes narrowed. "Something when gone, you could never regain. Something _shattering_ " she finished as Batman closed his eyes in resignation.

* * *

"I gotta admit. I didn't see this coming" Flint muttered in surprise before Circe shushed him.

"Quiet, it's starting" she said excitedly as a spotlight hit the stage, revealing Batman standing on the stage, holding the microphone stand in his hand carefully. After a moment, piano music started as Batman slowly looked up at the audience.

"Am I blue?" he started to sing. "Am I blue? Ain't these tears in my eyes telling you? Am I blue? You'd be too, if each plan with your man done fell through"

Zatanna grinned, almost victoriously before leaning her head against Flint's chest, faint tears starting to stream down her face as she listened. Flint smiled softly as well as he placed an arm around her gently, nodding as he listened to the dark knight's surprisingly mesmerizing voice.

Circe was tearing up in joy, graciously accepting a handkerchief from Zatanna as she dried her eyes carefully. "Beautiful" she whispered.

"And you'll keep your end of the deal right?" Flint asked as the sorceress nodded.

"A deal's a deal" she said before waving her hands briefly. "He can stop now"

"Not on your life" Zatanna said with a small laugh.

* * *

The pig approached closer and closer to the machine before suddenly becoming bathed in a bright blue light. The butchers stopped the machine in a panic as the pig vanished, replaced instead by Wonder Woman, who easily broke the bindings around her arms. The flashing lights sent the pigs in the slaughterhouse into a panic as they stampeded around, joining the butchers in their attempt to escape.

For a moment, she looked around in confusion, trying to figure out why she was standing on a conveyor belt before the memories flooded back to her.

"Circe" she growled dangerously before crashing through the roof and flying out across the sky.

* * *

As Batman finished, genuine applause was sent to him by the crowd before he stepped down and walked back to the others. "Full of surprises aren't you Bats?" Flint laughed as Zatanna nodded.

"By the way? Why'd you pick that song?" she asked in curiosity.

"Remember when Penguin tried to kidnap that singer?" he began.

"Wicky What's-his-name? So?"

"I spent a month on stakeout. I must've heard that song a hundred times" he finished before Flint laughed lightly.

"IS there anything you can't do?" the magician asked as he nodded.

"There is one thing I've never been very good at" Batman admitted as the two looked at him curiously. "Saying thank you. Both of you"

"No worries Bats, we're glad to help" Flint nodded before looking around. "We should probably head back though, Diana's gonna want some answers"

"Wait. Let's keep this between ourselves" Batman said, almost pleadingly as the two heroes looked to each other before shrugging.

"My lips are sealed" Zatanna said before Flint nodded in agreement. Satisfied with their answer, the dark knight left before Zatanna looked at Flint curiously.

"Please tell me you got a recording of that"

"Even better" he smirked. "I got video"

* * *

"Truthfully, it's still pretty much a blur to me" Wonder Woman shrugged, walking with Batman through the watchtower. The others had since gone home, so Batman elected just to return to the tower, where he was joined by Diana. "Did I miss anything?" she asked.

Batman continued to stare forwards before shaking his head. "Not really" he said vaguely. "The important thing is that you're safe"

"Yeah. Of course that's not the only important thing" she chuckled before walking off. However, as she left, she could be heard humming an all-too familiar tune, causing Batman to stop in his tracks. It continued to linger even as she disappeared around the corner. Batman stared after her, before the corner of his mouth subtly curled upwards in the tiniest of smirks.

* * *

 **And another chapter done! I promise you the next one won't have as long a wait tied to it.**

 **As always, be sure to read and review! And stick around, because next time the plot rears it's head...**

 **And Sandman will have to try fighting a Kryptonian clone.**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	9. Fearful Symmetry

**Behold! As a Christmas present to you guys, I present another chapter! This will be the last one before Christmas, and the next might not be up until the new year, but until then I figured you might like this. After all, we finally see Flint fight a Kryptonian.**

 **I'm still looking for a new beta reader, so anyone interested can just send a message and we can go over the details.**

 **As always be sure to read and review. I love all the comments you guys leave. They're very helpful with the writing process, and it helps me to improve each and every chapter.**

 **Sandman is property of Marvel comics and therefore Disney. The Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC comics and Warner Bros.**

 **Anyways, on to the chapter!**

* * *

Gilbert Halstrom was terrified as he ran for his life through the streets of Metropolis. His breathing was heavy and his footfalls smacked against the pavement loudly as he attempted to escape his pursuer. Taking a brief look back, he saw no sign of them. He didn't know what terrified him more, the fact that they had disappeared, or the thought that were likely still hunting. Coming across a door, he attempted to open it but it was locked, just as two red beams struck the knob and melted it in his hands. He whimpered in pain at the burns the melted brass left in his palms before turning and seeing his pursuer landing behind him.

"What's with the running doc?" Supergirl's voice called in a sadistic tone. "We both know how this is going to turn out"

"I didn't tell anyone! I swear!" Halstrom insisted, backing against a wall fearfully.

"Good. Then you're the only loose end" she smirked before hearing the sound of guns being cocked not far away. Just as she turned, a green bolt of energy was fired from one of the guns, grazing her shoulder due to its Kryptonite composition, as she clutched the burn painfully.

Suddenly, her grimace turned into a murderous glare. Halstrom used this opportunity to attempt running again, but she didn't care. She'd find him again. Rocketing off, she stole a rifle from one of the gunmen before smashing it across his face violently. She then threw his unconscious body into another one of the gunmen who tried to shoot her in retaliation. Three more gunmen soon joined the fray, flying in on jetpacks as the Kryptonian glared before descending to street level. As the armed men followed her, she used her heat vision to remove a chunk of building, causing it to fall on one of her pursuers.

Then, flying up high, she tore a billboard from the roof of a nearby building before using it to pummel the last two gunmen, taking them out of the fight as she resumed her search for Halstrom. Using her super hearing, she easily tracked him to a laboratory, where she smashed the doors down before tucking a stray strand of hair away from her face. She continued to follow Halstrom's trail to a back room, but before she could enter a robot appeared from another room.

The robot looked like a Mars rover, but it was adorned with various clamps, straps, and surgical saws. One of the arms it had even possessed a king syringe type probe, equipped with a kryptonite lance. It grabbed her with one of its arms before tossing her away over a table and into a wall. She got up just in time to bat away a blade that came close to her throat, before ripping the arm off and bashing the drone with it. Then, she picked up a nearby table before throwing it into the drone and sending both across the room where they promptly smashed against a wall.

Catching her breath quickly, she heard Halstrom's panicked sounds and entered the room that the robot came from, seeing the scientist cowering in the corner with a fearful look on his face.

"You can scream now if you want" a sick and triumphant smirk on her face as her eyes glowed red and the scientist let out one last cry of terror.

* * *

"NOOO!" Supergirl cried out as she sat bolt upright in her bed. Sweat poured off of her forehead as she tore her covers off and trembled in fear of what she just saw. Taking a look around, she was in her bedroom at the Kent house in Smallville. She thought back to the dream with a frown. What could it mean anyway? Why was she chasing down a man in Metropolis only to kill him?

She clutched her knees to her chest before the smell of burning met her nostrils. She took a cursory glance up to see two holes from her heat vision, still freshly singed in her bedroom's ceiling.

* * *

"I still don't know how you got her to say yes" Flint said in exasperation before taking another sip of his drink. He and Green Arrow just got back from a minor mission regarding a small gang stealing from various banks in Midway City and had since retired to the Watchtower for lunch.

Green Arrow shrugged plainly before finishing another bite of his sandwich. "Trust me, I don't get it either. Not that I'm complaining or anything"

Before Flint could reply, the cafeteria door opened, revealing a rather dejected looking Supergirl. The girl was out of sorts for the last few days and had gone into a private meeting with J'onn this morning to see if he could help her with something. Clearly by her expression she didn't receive anything to lift her spirits.

"Hey kid, everything okay?" Flint asked her, briefly startling the teen before she walked over to where the two were eating. She sat down with them before explaining her problem as they finished their lunch. Flint nodded sympathetically while Arrow shook his head.

"So what's the big deal? You had some nightmares" the archer rationalised as the Kryptonian sighed.

"These weren't just dreams. They felt like they really happened" Supergirl insisted.

"I don't know, I've had some dreams that felt mighty real" Arrow mused before turning to see Black Canary, who was currently talking with Fire and Ice. "There was this one the other night…"

"Hey the kids already having nightmares. No need to traumatize her further" Flint interjected.

"Like you're one to talk. I'm not the only hero with a thing for fishnet stockings" Green Arrow snipped back as Flint sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"The point is that I couldn't live with myself if I really did what I saw" Supergirl insisted before looking at the two. "Now, are you two gonna help me or not?"

"You know it kid" Flint nodded with a reassuring grin as he patted her shoulder gently.

"So will I" Arrow added. "But vague memories like one of those alien abductions? Maybe you've just been hanging out in Kansas for too long"

"I wouldn't be so sure" a new voice interrupted. "Especially since she is the alien"

The three turned to see the ever paranoid question sit down with them. His blue trench coat and pants with matching fedora were on him looking as clean as always, and despite his expressionless blank face, he always carried a grim mood about himself.

"You've got all the signs of repressed memories. People dream what their minds don't want to remember; easier to convince themselves it's all bunk" the detective insisted as Flint shook his head.

"What exactly would she want to repress memories of?" he asked, almost dreading the answer.

"You were treated for injuries at S.T.A.R. Labs, correct?" Question continued, his faceless visage pointing straight at the Kryptonian teenager.

"Yeah" Supergirl nodded. "A few years ago, when Superman was brainwashed by Darkseid and attacked the Earth. I got hurt and he took me to S.T.A.R. for help. I was in a coma for part of it"

"Meaning that there's a gap in time you can't account for. That's where we need to investigate" Question deduced as Green Arrow groaned in annoyance.

"Okay, enough! Don't listen to this guy everything's conspiracies with him"

"Hey at least he's coming up with somewhere we can start, and that's better than where we were" Sandman interjected.

"And it's not conspiracies, its conspiracy; singular. Follow me" Question finished before standing and beckoning them to follow him to his room on the Watchtower.

"Why do I get the feeling that every time you take a Rorschach test you answer with 'Who really shot President Kennedy?' or something like that" Green Arrow sighed as the three followed the faceless detective to his bedroom.

Once inside and the doors were shut, Question walked over to his desk and began digging for some notes while the three heroes inspected his corkboard full of strings connecting pictures, magazine articles, and conspiracy headlines.

"Going as far as Ancient Egypt there've been a cabal of powerful individuals directing the course of human history. However, the common man prefers to believe that they don't exist, and that aids their success" the detective began, however the others were too focused on the odd collection of clippings.

"Global warming, military upheavals in the third world, and actors elected to public office?" Supergirl said, confused.

"Chupacabra sightings in Texas, the Kardashians, Hawaiian Pizza? Seriously?" Flint asked incredulously. 'What is this guy on?' he thought in alarm.

"The spread of coffee bars, germs outpacing antibiotics, and boy-bands?" Green Arrow read skeptically. "Come on, who would gain from all of this?"

"Who indeed?" Question asked as Flint looked to Green Arrow.

"You know, maybe I was wrong about this"

"What does any of this have to do with my dreams?" Supergirl asked.

"If I'm right, you're part of it; you're going to need my help. I'm going with you" Question said, stuffing something in his jacket pocket before heading to the door.

"Hold you horses" Green Arrow urged as he grabbed the detectives shoulder. "No one asked for more help. This whole trip might just prove that the kid shouldn't eat nachos before bed"

"Peanut-Butter sandwiches" Question said, correcting him.

"How did you… what, do you go through my trash?!" Supergirl screeched indignantly.

"Please" Question responded, almost sounding insulted. "I go through everyone's trash"

"Even mine?" Flint asked skeptically, folding his arms.

"Especially yours"

* * *

Following the recommendation that the Question made, the four heroes made their way down to S.T.A.R. Labs where they were greeted by Professor Hamilton. The middle-aged scientist had blonde hair and a beard, as well as thick rimmed glasses. Hamilton was a long-time friend of the Kryptonian cousins, and after being informed of the situation Hamilton walked them down to the medical wing.

"This is where we treated you when you were in your coma" the scientist explained as he gestured to an operating table while the four looked around suspiciously. "You were on life-support the whole time; I promise you weren't running around on violent missions" he said with a kind smile as Question folded his arms across his chest.

"Well then Professor Hamilton, maybe you can tell us why her memories led her here" the faceless detective asked dubiously.

"I think I can explain that" the scientist nodded calmly, before cupping his chin in thought. "You said you mentioned some sort of torture device?"

"Yes" Supergirl nodded.

"With robotic arms, and a long probe in the center?" the scientist continued before Green Arrow cut in.

"Cut to the chase. You say you've seen something like it?"

"In fact I have" Hamilton chuckled before striding across the room and pressing a button on the wall, which caused a door to open. One the other side of the door was the exact robot from Supergirl's dream, much to the surprise of the heroes.

Hamilton took the remote and moved it forwards so they could get a closer look at it before explaining. "It's not a torture device, it's a surgical robot. It has a kryptonite tipped lance, because it was the only way to operate on you. Supergirl, that robot saved your life" he said as the teen looked at the robot in awe.

"As for the rest of her dream, we humans are used to being vulnerable. But to Supergirl, surgery must have seemed terribly invasive. You were powerless to defend yourself, so it's possible that your mind created a scenario of fighting back" he finished before putting the robot away as the heroes nodded before beginning to file out.

* * *

"Well, I think that answered everything" Green Arrow smirked, sighing in relief.

"A little too well, don't you think?" Question asked, a suspicious tone still evident in his voice.

"Still on that whole 'Paranoid Conspiracy' notion?" Flint groaned in annoyance.

"I never leave it" the detective retorted as Sandman rolled his eyes in return.

"Uh guys" Supergirl called before pointing up the street, where three attack helicopters were quickly closing in on them. The lead chopper immediately released a silver android which tackled Supergirl to the ground as armed men started firing at the heroes from the choppers.

Arrow and Question immediately dove for cover while the laser blasts passed through Flint's sand harmlessly. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be?" he says with a smirk before turning into glass and reflecting the laser blasts back at the choppers which started dropping their soldiers off on the ground.

Green Arrow took this opportunity to fire a smokescreen arrow, allowing for Question to get in unseen as he quickly took down two of the soldiers. Afterwards, Green Arrow used an explosive arrow to ground one of the choppers by destroying its rotors while Supergirl knocked the robot aside and punched its head off. Sandman reflected a few more blasts before turning back into sand and wrecking another one of the choppers.

With their robot destroyed, the attacking soldiers quickly retrieved their unconscious comrades before escaping in the last helicopter. "What was that all about?" Arrow asked, panting as he surveyed the area around them.

"Isn't it obvious? We're asking questions someone doesn't want answered" Question says seriously before starting to walk off to examine the remains of the robot.

"Oh learn a new tune already!" the archer called in exasperation as Sandman rejoined him and Supergirl.

"I'm starting to think he's right" the teenaged hero muttered as Flint nodded.

"Gotta admit, it is a little suspicious how they show up just as we were leaving S.T.A.R. Labs"

Question meanwhile, was analysing the pieces of the robot carefully while his peers walked over to him. "Standard Z-8 Combat Trainer" he mutters before taking the robot's severed head and showing It to the others to confirm his suspicions.

"Like the ones we use in our training simulations. The League buys them in bulk" Green Arrow confirmed.

"So?" Supergirl said, rolling her eyes.

"So who do we buy them from?" Question responded.

"The army, I think…" Supergirl answered before a sudden realization came over her. "Oh, wait a minute…"

"Another fun fact" Question continued. "The man who commissioned the Z-8 project? He's the same man who put you into the hospital"

"General Hardcastle? But he's retired now, isn't he?" Supergirl asked.

"Gone. And hoping to be forgotten" the detective finished as the Leaguers exchanged unsure looks with each other.

* * *

Despite the initial skepticism of Green Arrow, the heroes had little trouble finding the missing General. Despite his best efforts at covering up his hideaway, Question still somehow had the coordinates to the cabin he'd been hiding in for several years (a fact that alarmed Flint to end). After giving them to the Watchtower's teleporter, the four heroes arrived in front of the cabin that was sheltered far off in the woods. Walking up to the cabin, Flint turned the knob to find it unlocked and dim; the only light coming from a half-lit fireplace.

"Figured someone'd come for me someday" a raspy voice called as the heroes turned to see an aging man, turning on a lamp that sat on the table next to him. In his hand was an unusual looking pistol that he aimed warily at Supergirl. "Only thought they'd be from the other side. This weapon fires a projectile of Kryptonite pellets, suspended in a liquid-silicon core. Causes maximum scatter on impact. Only gets one shot, but trust me alien. It'll do the job"

Supergirl immediately raised her hands slowly, surrendering. "We're not here to hurt you. We just have some questions" she said slowly as Hardcastle snorted, raising his eyebrow skeptically.

"Sorry if I don't take your word for it. As I recall, your kind can be fickle" the General said smugly as Flint shook his head.

"Listen, we don't have time for this. Besides, you take that shot, you've done nothing but make the three of us mad. And you've put a target on your back for her cousin." He said seriously as Hardcastle seemed to weigh his options. That moment of hesitation was all Question needed to disarm the older man.

"Come on, be a good host. Tell us a story" Green Arrow smirked.

Hardcastle frowned before gesturing to his couch, as the heroes took seats and got ready to listen to the man's account. Question stuffed the gun in his jacket to ensure the general didn't do anything rash.

"The army shut me out after Superman invaded. The feeling upstairs was that I failed when it counted most, so how could I lead again? I got the message and took early retirement" the Genera recounted with a sigh as he tended to the dying fire.

"The problem is I know too much" he continued before walking back to his armchair and sitting down. "One of these days they'll decide to shut me up"

"Who will? What do you know?" Supergirl asked, confused.

Hardcastle leaned forward, staring her down hard. "The military and big business have been in cahoots for decades. Top secret stuff, experiments on metahumans, mutants, and aliens. Searching for new technologies, both for national security and for profit. That Volcana woman?" he continued, referring to an occasional opponent of the League. "She was one of ours. Same as those freaks the Joker dressed up as playing cards when he attacked Las Vegas"

"I'm sorry, but what does any of this have to do with the kid?" Sandman questioned.

"It has to do with _all_ of you" Hardcastle insisted with narrowed eyes. "Your little club up in that spaceship? There's a file on every single one of you. But I don't know anything about these dreams of yours" he admits with a sigh. "If it is connected to these people, I've been out of the loop too long to know"

""And how to we find these people?" Question probed further.

"You don't. They find you" Hardcastle finished chillingly, sending a shiver up the spines of each of the heroes before they stood up to leave.

"Thanks anyway" Flint calls back as the four exited the cabin, and he sighs. "Well, there goes our only lead"

"Not necessarily. I just need some time to process this" Question insisted before placing a finger to his communicator. "Martian, pick us up" he called before the four were instantly transported back to the Watchtower.

After the heroes left, a sudden shadow fell over the porch of the cabin. Inside, Hardcastle poured himself a glass of whiskey before downing it in one gulp. Every time he came back to these secrets he knew, he found that a good strong drink was essential. After setting the glass down, he heard the door open again as he sighed in annoyance.

"What" I told you everything I…" he started before turning to see a suspiciously familiar figure standing in the doorway. "Supergirl?"

The woman he was looking at first appeared to be Supergirl, but she was clearly much older, Her entire outfit was a one-piece white jumpsuit that bared her legs, with long white gloves that went up to her elbows, and white boots that went almost to her knees. Her blond hair was cut short in a bob-cut as she gave a small shrug.

"Yes, and no" she answered vaguely. "My friends call me Galatea. Are you a friend General?"

Hardcastle instantly found the underlying threat in her tone as he immediately tried to reach for his Kryptonite gun. Galatea however, blasted it with her heat vision one of the beams searing itself across Hardcastle's palm as he cried out in sudden pain, falling back into his chair as he clutched his hand painfully.

Galatea suddenly took on a superior smirk as she slowly approached his chair before standing over the General's injured form. "Guess that's a no"

* * *

After returning to the Watchtower, the four heroes retired back to Question's room mulling over what they just heard. Question muttered to himself incoherently, Green Arrow watched him with folded arms, and Sandman looked back at the corkboard while Supergirl napped on his bed.

Suddenly, Supergirl shot awake with a scared gasp, a look of terror on her face as the three heroes suddenly snapped to attention.

"You okay kid?" Sandman asked as Question groaned.

"Excuse me if I bore you" the detective groaned dryly as Green Arrow glared at him.

"Hey lay off!" he said, defending the teen as she shook her head.

"Hardcastle's gone" she said to the others' surprise. "I… I just know"

As the four heroes turned back to process this new information, Question's communicator went off on his desk. "Question?" Martian Manhunter called though the device.

"Go ahead" Question answered, grabbing the communicator quickly.

"Look at your monitor; I'm patching through a live feed" the martian said cryptically before all four heroes crowded around the screen which suddenly blared to life, showing a middle-aged balding man who was reporting for the Eagle Network news station.

"A scientist named Gilbert Halstrom has been reported missing" J'onn explained. "He's from a biotech company called Nuvo-Gen. It's the man from Kara's dream"

"He really did exist" Supergirl breathed before looking down. "Or, he did anyway" she muttered quietly.

"And only one network had the story" Question commented.

"Now that's the first lead in this whole business that I can wrap my head around" Green Arrow grinned before standing up. "C'mon. We go to Nuvo-Gen, we find out who this guy was"

"No" Question argued. "First we find the source of the report" he insisted.

"What for?" Arrow groaned.

"Don't you know who owns the Eagle Network?" Question said, almost smugly before pointing back at his board of newspaper clippings. "The real puppet-masters"

The three blinked plainly as Flint raised an eyebrow. "Seriously" he deadpanned.

"Look" Arrow sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why don't we split up? Kara, Flint, and I will go to Nuvo-Gen, and you can go wherever you want" the archer relented, seemingly placating the paranoid investigator.

* * *

Back in Metropolis in a high-class steakhouse stood Lasser, a Middle-aged balding TV reporter who worked for the Eagle Network and reported on the Halstrom investigation. He exited the restaurant and started walking off before being stopped by a friend of his named Jerry.

"Hey Lasser!" Jerry called out to him. "I saw that bit on Eagle Today, now that's reporting!"

"Thanks" Lasser called back with a superior grin and condescending tone. "You get home safe"

Before he could walk off, Jerry grabbed a hold of his arm. "The thing is, Nuvo-Gen is a real hush-hush kind of joint, and Halstrom didn't have any family to file a missing person's report. Between you and me, how'd you hear about this story?" he asked.

Good old-fashioned legwork Jerry. You should try it sometime" the reporter answered before walking off and calling a taxi. Stepping into the vehicle, he looked up with a smirk. "Commodore Hotel" he called as the driver nodded before driving off. However, after a few blocks, the taxi suddenly turned off the street and into a side alley.

"Something wrong?" Lasser asked as the driver shook his head.

"Gotta write up my fare report" he replied as Lasser nodded, seemingly pleased by the answer. "What do you think of that corporate prepackaged pop that kids like these days?" the driver asked, seemingly making conversation.

Lasser gave a short barking laugh before shaking his head. "Hate it"

"Uh-huh" the driver muttered before tuning the radio to one of those very songs and turning the volume up to the max as yellow smoke suddenly appeared out of his jacket.

"Hey!" Lasser called in annoyance, grabbing the driver's shoulder. "I just said…" he continued before trailing off and blanching as the driver's coat turned blue, and his face disappeared. Lasser gave a short scream before suddenly coming face-to-face with the Question.

* * *

Late at night in the Nuvo-Gen laboratory, the night watchman watched the clock impatiently, waiting for his replacement to show up. After a few minutes, he looked up to see a muscular man with blonde hair and a goatee approaching, swinging a small lunchbox.

"Hi, I'm Ollie. I'm filling in" the man answered as the guard nodded before shaking his hand.

"What happened to Frank?" he asked as Ollie shrugged.

"I heard some contest guy showed up at his door; got a free trip to Aruba" Ollie answered as the guard groaned.

"Why him and not me?" he complained before grabbing his things and walking off.

"Tell me about it. You have a good one!" Ollie called as the guard waved back at him.

"Good cold one is more like it" he called before swiping his key card and leaving. As the door slowly closed, Supergirl suddenly rushed in, holding Green Arrow's bow and quiver.

"Free trip to Aruba?" she asked with a laugh.

"Had to send Frank somewhere. Shame how he dropped his key card though" the archer replied as Flint's laugh could be heard.

"I would have picked Tahiti" he mused before sand poured out of an overhead vent and reformed into Flint's full form.

As the three heroes shared a small chuckle, they were unaware of another presence. A figure garbed in white landed on the ground and watched the three Leaguers as they walked off down the hall, searching for the company record room, as a white gloved hand slowly opened the front door.

* * *

"I never heard of Nuvo-Gen or Halstrom until last night. This girl I've been seeing slipped it to me, said I could run with it" Lasser confessed desperately, fearful for what the Question might do to him.

"The girl. Tell me more" the faceless detective demanded in a threatening tone.

"She's just a girl" Lasser insisted. "Blonde hair, blue eyes. A real farmer's daughter type"

"And a handshake like a vice?" Question asked.

"Y-yeah actually. Really strong. How did you…"

"How long have you been seeing her?" the detective interrupted.

"About a week"

"She have bad dreams?"

"More like tossing and turning"

Question hummed thoughtfully as he cupped his chin and mulled these facts over. "Can't sleep at night" he muttered as Lasser looked at him in confusion.

A few seconds later, Lasser was suddenly hurled out of the taxi and into the street as Question sped off in the taxi towards Nuvo-Gen's laboratory.

* * *

"Halstrom was getting a lot of emails from their legal department" Green Arrow said as he scrolled through one of the computers on the desk while Supergirl scoured a second. Flint was doing double-duty of investigating several files while also watching the door. "Looks like they were scared he was gonna blow the whistle on something" the archer continued.

After another minute of searching, Arrow suddenly sat back in surprise. "I don't believe this. That crazy old Hardcastle was right. These guys claim to be splicing hardier tomatoes, but they've really been experimenting with metahumans DNA"

"Reminds me of Weapon X" Sandman said with a frown before noting the confused expression on the archer's face. "Weapon X was a shadowy organization from back in my world. They were notorious for splicing metahumans and mutant DNA, trying to make the perfect weapon. They created and cloned some pretty damn good heroes" he smiled, thinking of Wolverine and Talon, before suddenly frowning. "… and they augmented some frightening villains" he finished, remembering Sabretooth, Omega Red, and Lady Deathstrike in particular.

"Guess Nuvo-Gen's using this DNA for a similar purpose" Green Arrow mused.

"Not just any DNA" Supergirl added in a shaky voice. "They're using my DNA" she answered before pointing to her computer screen as both heroes rushed to take a look at the various videos and images that were on display.

All of them showed what appeared to be an older Supergirl performing various training exercises, all of them combat oriented.

"That folder was marked 'Metropolis Training Exercises'. It's me" the teen said with a gulp.

"Um, a little more mature than you" Arrow commented as he continued to watch the video. "But I see your point"

The teen continued to stare at the monitor in fear and shock. "So I was cloned" she surmised with a frown, and an unnervingly calm tone. "We must have some sort of psychic link. That's how I'm seeing things I didn't do"

"So she did those things?" Flint asked before a sudden blur of motion passed by the door from outside the room. "Crap, we got company" Flint said as the three heroes quickly ran out of the lab and down the hall, where they came across a seemingly empty room. The room itself was large and spacious with purple, hexagonal plates all along the floor.

"What is this place?" Sandman muttered before the walls, floor, and ceiling suddenly lit up. When the light died down, the Leaguers found themselves in what appeared to be Metropolis.

"What's going on?" Supergirl asked as Flint looked around.

"It's a simulation, like the one on the watchtower. I guess it's a training area of some sort"

"My training area" a voice interrupted as they looked up to see the clone of Supergirl flying down towards them. Before they could react, she punched Supergirl through one of the buildings before floating above Arrow and Sandman.

"So what do you think?" Galatea asked with a smirk as she opened her arms. "It's important that you like yourself, and I'm you. Just accelerated a few extra years. Plus better trained and a heck of a lot smarter" she boasted to the teenage Kryptonian.

"Does smarter have to mean egotistical as well?" Sandman frowned as he formed his hands into mallets and prepared for the worst.

"She lured us here. Her lackeys couldn't get rid of us at S.T.A.R. so she came after us here, on her home turf." Supergirl grunted as she stood up.

"It's like you're reading my mind, which is actually the problem" Galatea mused before she was suddenly struck from behind and knocked into a parked car by Sandman.

"Couldn't you have just asked nicely?" Sandman called out rhetorically as the clone slowly stood up again. Supergirl took this opportunity to deliver a wicked uppercut to her clone's jaw, sending her sprawling before an explosive arrow, courtesy of Green Arrow, knocked her further back. However, the clone was unharmed as she fired a blast of heat-vision that knocked the archer through a car, and then a window, leaving him unconscious.

"Arrow!" Supergirl called in alarm before trying to help her friend. Unfortunately, Galatea was quicker as she grasped the teen's cap and threw her down into the street. She smirked slightly before another sandy fist knocked her into a lamp post. She turned to see Sandman watching her carefully from the sidewalk.

"Listen, I get it. You're a clone, but you don't have to be this way. You can be a better person than this" the former villain tried to reason.

"Says you!" Galatea shouted indignantly before throwing a punch, her fist rocketing through Flint's chest much to her shock.

"I know what you're feeling. I wasn't so good once upon a time, but what you're doing, you gotta realize it's wrong. With great power comes great responsibility" he recited as he studied her expression carefully. The second her fist went through his chest he saw something, a flicker of regret, flash through her eyes.

The clone retracted her fist before growling. "I don't care!" she yelled before clapping her hands together and scattering Flint's sand all over the street.

"You should! You could be better" Flint urged as he reformed before a blast of heat-vision grazed his shoulder, melting some of his sand.

"I'm already perfect" she insisted before rocketing towards him. However, his words had more of an effect than he thought because she wasn't closing in on him as fast as she would have. That was all the time that Supergirl needed to grab a fallen lamp post before knocking her away across the city like a baseball.

"Damn, that's some arm" Flint mused as he watched the clone get launched away. "Ever play little league"

"They'd have me tested for steroids if they saw that" Supergirl quipped as the clone was then knocked through several buildings. "She probably won't be slowed down much" she frowned as Flint nodded.

"Right. Let's hit her while she's down" he nodded before the two ran off. Green Arrow, meanwhile, was slowly waking up just as Question came in to help the archer stand.

"Anything break?" the paranoid detective asked.

"Just my stride" the archer laughed.

"Nap's over. Come on" Question urged as the two followed their team mates.

* * *

As Supergirl flew on ahead, she was suddenly tackled by the clone, creating a massive trench through the street as an enraged Galatea glared down at her. "Next time, get your own dreams" she seethed before she was suddenly punched away by Flint again. However, this time the hero didn't hold back and let lose the full power of his class eight strength, sending the clone flying back as she clutched her arm in pain, certain of a bruise.

"Who do you work for?" Supergirl asked weakly as Flint slowly helped her up, her healing factor slowly starting to activate.

"Really? At the top?" the clone asked with a laugh. "Even I don't know that. But I do know that I can't work in secret if you keep seeing what I do" she frowned before charging her heat-vision. "So, sayonara sister"

"That's not the only reason is it" a voice called as Galatea turned to see Question and Green Arrow turning up, the former walking over to her slowly with his hands in his pockets. "You were setting up this bait before Supergirl started asking questions. It's because the link works both ways" the faceless man deduced. "While she was seeing what you were doing, you were feeling her conscience" Galatea listened to him before turning her head away, trying to ignore him. "That's why you couldn't sleep at night. And I'll bet that got in the way of your work"

The detective suddenly leaned in close, knowing his words were true and getting to her. "It bites having someone in your head, doesn't it?"

"Y-you don't know what you're talking about" the clone insisted, taking a step back.

"No?" Question asked with an almost amused voice as he took another step forwards. "Prove it. Kill me"

The other heroes looked at the paranoid detective in shock as the clone smirked before raising a fist. Green Arrow knocked an arrow, and Flint reformed his mallets, each ready for the worst as Question watched her calmly. However, the clone didn't follow through. Instead her fist shook in hesitation as Flint's words continued to ring through her head. 'With great power comes great responsibility' she heard before closing her eyes.

Supergirl took this opportunity to smash a car over the clone's head, while Question dove for cover. He knew better than to get between two Kryptonians as Sandman rocketed forward to follow up with a swing from his mallet. Before Galatea could recover, Supergirl took a girder from one of the ruined buildings and hit her over and over, not letting up before Flint sent her away with an uppercut.

Galatea steadied herself before looking at the heroes in frustration. Her costume was shredded all along her sleeves, as a collection of bruises adorned her body. She took another fighting stance, ready to attack again before a part of the floor between her and the heroes exploded.

"No!" Galatea shouted, looking off into the sky in annoyance. "I can do this!" she insisted with a yell as cracks slowly started to engulf the floor as more explosions rang out, obscuring the clone from their view.

"C'mon! We gotta go!" Supergirl urged before she and the other Leaguers quickly made their retreat, the four only barely escaping before the entire Nuvo-Gen building exploded.

* * *

The team returned to the Watchtower, Supergirl retrieving a new intact costume while the others filed their report with the senior League members. After a short chat with an astonished and worried Superman, the four headed back to Question's room as Supergirl was on the phone with Professor Hamilton.

"We searched what was left of the place, but we never found the clone" Supergirl finished in frustration.

"Maybe there was nothing left to find" Green Arrow suggested as Flint snorted. 'I doubt that' Flint thought to himself as Question shook his head.

"Or that's what they want us to think" Question said ominously.

"I'm just glad you're okay Supergirl" the Professor answered in a worried tone.

"Professor" Supergirl started nervously. "To make this clone of me, they would've needed a DNA sample. Is there any chance that it came from your lab?"

"No, we always destroy genetic material after surgery. It's standard procedure" Hamilton assured her.

Supergirl nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. "Okay. Thanks Professor"

"Give my best to Superman"

"Will do" she finished before hanging up and sighing. The four heroes each exchanged an unsure look, a heavy atmosphere still surrounding them.

"This all started because Superman went renegade" Question muttered, putting another connection up on his board. "They want a superhuman on their side if it ever happens again"

"Whoever they are" Supergirl nodded, afraid of what the answer could be.

* * *

In an unknown laboratory, Professor Hamilton walked through a pair of double doors before stepping over to an operating table that was surrounded by military and government officials. The crowd dispersed and left the room as they watched the scientist approach, revealing Galatea. Her hair was missing, and her body was one large bruise. As a result, she was hooked up to a life-support machine, clearly not leaving for a while yet.

"You rest" Hamilton said softly, as he gently stroked and cupped her cheek in a loving fashion. "We'll have you fixed up in no time Galatea" he assured.

* * *

Salamandra sat on a small couch, filing her nails as she waited for Wizard to return. Eventually, the front door opened as he stepped in, finally out of his armour and instead in civilian clothes. "We have a problem" he said seriously as his ex-wife looked up at him.

"What might that be?" she asked in a bored tone.

Wizard frowned at her response. Since discovering about Sandman breaking his mental control before his departure, Wizard was now worried about the same thing happening to Salamandra. No one knew about the control, but he shuddered to think what would happen if she were to free herself and realise what happened. So far, she didn't show any more hostile signs than normal, so he brushed the thought aside for now, intending to monitor her closely.

"This world isn't as defenseless as we thought. They have their own teams of heroes. Even worse…" He continues before tossing a newspaper that had a story about the Thanagarian invasion on the cover. "… He's helping them" he finished pointing to a picture of Sandman that was in the paper.

Salamandra studied the photo before raising an eyebrow in response. "So what now?"

"We need allies. Powerful allies, who've fought these heroes before" Wizard said before pulling out another picture. "And I think I know just who to ask" he finished as Salamandra looked at the figure.

In the photograph was none other than presidential hopeful, Lex Luthor.

* * *

 **And behold! The plot finally rears its ugly head as the CADMUS arc officially begins!**

 **No time to rest now however. The return of an old foe is next**

 **Be sure to read and review! Until next time!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	10. The Return

**Happy New Year Everybody!**

 **I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and if you don't celebrate Christmas, well a very Happy holidays.**

 **I would have had this up sooner, but I was a little delayed with my vacation, as well as preparing to go back to classes in the next few days (which means that yes, the upload will be a little slower for the next little bit, but I'll try to post as many chapters as I can. My classes end in April after all).**

 **And to answer a question;**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Your character will show up... eventually. It won't be for a while yet, mostly due to how I want his appearance to be 1) epic as all hell and 2) make sense given the chapter he'll show up for. So it won't be too long from now, but don't expect it right away. I'll get to it... eventually.**

 **I am also still looking for a beta reader for this story, so if anyone is interested send me a message (I tried the betas on the site but of the five I asked none of them answered after two weeks of waiting).**

 **In any case, DISCLAIMER: Sandman and all Marvel characters are owned by Marvel and Disney (All hail Mickey), the Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC comics.**

 **And away we go!**

* * *

"Alright, everything is ready. Poker night part two is a go" Flint mused with a grin as he waited for the others to arrive. Ever since the mission involving Galatea, there was a great deal of tension on the Watchtower. Supergirl was worried about the clone still being out there, Superman was most shocked by the news and had spent a great deal of time doing his own research, while the Question…

Well, the Question was somewhere, and doing something. As to what that was, Flint had no idea and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. To increase the somber mood the heroes had, John had asked Flint to help him and Wally in searching for Shayera. However, their constant looking yielded nothing, and that left the lantern in a rather dejected state.

Wally thought another poker night would do them all some good, and while initially hesitant, John finally agreed to it.

A knock on the door interrupted Flint's thoughts as he opened it to reveal Wally and John, as well as three newcomers to the game.

Oliver insisted that he join them, being a self-described champion of the game, and Flint had since become fast friends with the archer so he was perfectly fine with him joining.

The other two newcomers were Vigilante and Shining Knight. The strange duo were an odd mix to say the least, but Vigilante was an expert at shuffling and cutting cards, and Shining Knight had long wanted to learn the game, so Flint invited them over to join in.

"Hey glad you could make it" Flint greeted as Wally nodded.

"Same here. Sorry that Clark isn't with us, he won't be back from his mission for another hour, and J'onn has monitor duty" the speedster shrugged while the heroes sat around Flint's kitchen table.

"No worries, there's always next time" Flint nodded before handing out drinks.

"This card game, how do you play it?" Shining Knight asked as Flint sat down.

"Vig, I'll explain while you shuffle the cards" Oliver said before handing the decks over to the cowboy themed hero. "Anyways, there are a lot of variations of the game, so we'll just explain the one that we play. Essentially the highest pair of cards wins the hand. You're allowed to swap out one card per round, with aces being the highest and twos being the lowest. However, you can bluff your hand"

"Bluff?" the Arthurian man asked in confusion.

"Basically, if you have a low or mediocre hand, you can bet a higher amount in order to trick the other players into thinking you have a higher hand than you really possess. It helps more than you would think" Flint explained as the Knight nodded.

"I think I get it now" he said. "But what exactly do you bet?"

"Money. But to start we're just gonna bet chips" Wally said as he gave everyone their chips for the game.

After the explanation, it turned out that Shining Knight took to the game rather quickly, and soon they were each tossing chip after chip into the betting pool as the game went on. However, throughout the whole thing John was still rather quiet, something that the others took notice of.

"You still out of it John?" Oliver asked with a small frown as the Lantern looked up with a sigh.

"That obvious huh?" the former marine conceded as Wally patted him on the back.

"It's no worry. Maybe you just need a little break"

"A break?"

"Yeah, you know just some time off. Why not do a little tour on Oa? You've been saying you wanted to head back there soon, so why not now?" Flint suggested as the Lantern mulled it over.

"You know what? You're right" he decided with a smile. "A small break on Oa could do me some good"

* * *

"Come on, you could send Rayner over in my stead. He'd be a fine replacement while I'm off-world" John pressed as the blue form of one of the Guardians of the Universe shook their head. The Guardians were a race of small blue aliens who acted as the leaders of the Green Lantern corps, creating and designating rings, while also keeping their battery safe.

"I'm sorry, but we are not at the leisure of allowing you on Oa at the moment. There are more pressing matters at hand" the Guardian said seriously, as Wally and Flint entered the room where John was talking to the Guardian through their communicator thanks to Martian Manhunter's assistance.

"What kind of pressing matters are we talking about here?" John asked, his eyebrow cocked curiously.

"There's an object approaching Oa at a somewhat astonishing speed" the Guardian explained.

"We'll take care of it" a Lantern, Kyle Rayner, interjected as he and several dozen other lanterns flew into the upper atmosphere of Oa. They then combined their rings to form one massive barrier between the speeding object and the planet's surface.

"Nothing's getting through this baby" Kyle said confidently, before the object shot through the barrier, shattering it. The object however, wasn't slowed in the slightest.

The heroes in the League watched the footage they were being sent in shock. "Holy crap, that thing's got some serious power behind it" Flint said as he watched the footage intently.

"Activate planetary defenses!" a Guardian shouted back on Oa. "Magnify the image!" another ordered before the camera zoomed in on the object, revealing it to be a humanoid being. The being appeared to be made entirely of gold, and its face was featureless save for two glowing eyes.

"Professor Ivo's android!" the Martian said in shock as Flash gulped in fear and Flint took an involuntary step back. From the old League casefiles that he had read, he found records of an android built by a man named Professor Ivo. The robot itself had the ability to copy the powers of any metahuman and it proved to be more than a match for the Justice League, defeating the original seven founders in only a few hours. That however was years ago, so what kind of powers had the android found now?

"Holy mother of…" Green Lantern started before the android collided with Oa's surface, creating a large blast of light, obscuring the screen from their view. When the light subsided, the heroes looked on in horror at the result.

Oa was gone.

There were no words to begin to describe the mood of the heroes after what they had just witnessed. Oa was one of the oldest and most powerful civilizations in the universe. And now, it was gone. The centre of order was gone.

"Oa. It's gone…" Lantern whispered in shock as he stared at the empty blankness of space where the planet used to sit. For John, Oa was his home away from home. He and the rest of the Lanterns protected Oa with their lives, and in return they protected the universe.

Flint was no stranger to this level of destruction. He had heard the stories from the other heroes and villains on his world. Stories of Galactus, the devourer of worlds and Thanos the Mad Titan, but this was something he never once thought he would see.

"It gets worse" the Martian said seriously, breaking the calm as Flint looked at him in shock.

"Worse? How much worse J'onn?" he asked in a worried tone as the Martian brought up a star chart that tracked the universe from Oa to Earth.

"The android is headed to Earth" Martian Manhunter concluded, sending the three heroes into a further state of panic.

"You're kidding" Wally breathes in shock before Flint ran to the communication station and opened a network to all League members to hear. "Attention, all Justice League members and associates. We have an Omega-Level threat. All members and associates are to report to the Watchtower for assignment, this is not a drill" he said as firmly as he could before looking at the others with a grim nod. The android had eliminated Oa without slowing down, and now the only advantage that the Earth had was the few hours before it arrived.

"Let's get to work" Green Lantern said with a hardened determination before all the heroes stepped out to inform the League of the situation.

* * *

It was less than half an hour after Flint gave his message that all available heroes had gathered together in the briefing room. Needless to say, there a mixture of fear and dread that swept through the crowd. However, despite their fear, there was a great deal of determination among the heroes. They were ready to defend the Earth, no matter what it took.

"We'll set up three layers of defense" Martian Manhunter said as he brought up a diagram of the planet and Watchtower. "One on the ground, one in the upper atmosphere, and one in space"

"That last one is me" Green Lantern said with a grim frown. "I wanna hammer that thing before it gets anywhere near here"

"Move out!" the Martian ordered as the various Leaguers moved to take their positions, with Batman leading some of the non-powered individuals to the Javelins so that they could join the defense line in space. Flint watched them all leave before noticing Zatanna out of the corner of his eye stepping over to him.

"Hey, you're looking pretty nervous" he comments as she gives a stale chuckle.

"Well yeah. One of the most notorious adversaries in League history is returning. It gets you more than a little worked up" she says, trying to keep her confidence about her, but it faltered slightly in her attempt.

"Don't worry. We'll stop him" he assured her before frowning. "What team are you on anyway?"

"Batman asked me to join in one of the Javelins" she said as Flint nodded.

"Diana's taking me to the ground level. Not exactly sure what they expect me to do. I'm just a guy made of sand" he frowns as Zatanna cups his face gently.

"You're not a man made of sand. You're a _hero_ made of sand. Big difference" she smirked as he nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah you're right. I can do this" he nodded before Batman called back to them, coaxing Zatanna to move.

"Guess I'd better head out then" she frowned as Flint gave a reluctant nod.

"Be safe out there okay?" he asked.

"I will" she assured him, before kissing his cheek and running off to join the space crew.

Flint watched her leave with a smile before noticing Superman's frown. "Something on your mind Clark?" Flint asked as J'onn as well walked over curiously.

"When the android left Earth, he said he'd evolved to a level where none of us could offer anything" he started before looking at the two of them. "So why's he coming back?"

"Do think he's looking for something, or someone?" Flint wondered, J'onn's head snapping up at the mention of the android looking for someone.

"Supergirl, Steel!" he called out, interrupting the two heroes in their tracks as they headed to the teleporters. "I have another assignment for you"

* * *

Near the outskirts of Metropolis, a crowd of reporters and press photographers were all sitting in the yard of a large mansion, listening intently to the speech of the owner. This man happened to be Lex Luthor, the former president and CEO of LexCorp, a reformed villain, potential presidential candidate, and one bald son of a bitch. Lately, he was garnering quite a bit of popularity in the press, since in the wake of years of his attempting to defeat the Justice League and take over the world, his goals had since become more benign and philanthropic. This obviously garnered quite a bit of suspicion around the man.

"Your new book 'Into the Light' certainly projects the image of a man who's reformed…" a reporter began. "But many people are skeptical Mr. Luthor, for good reason"

"I understand their skepticism" the multi-billionaire nodded before smiling lightly. "But the fact is I'm not the man I was before" he said before opening his shirt to reveal a green vest with a red hexagon on the front of it. "This device might stop my Kryptonite-induced cancer for another thirty years" he said with a smile before it suddenly turned rueful. "Or it might be for another thirty days. For all I know it could be another thirty minutes. However fate plays her hand, I want my remaining time to have meaning. I want to make a positive difference in this world"

The reporter raised a skeptical eyebrow before pressing further. "So you're a new man? No grudges or vendettas? Even against the Justice League?" she asked, awaiting his answer with interest.

To her surprise, Luthor gave a hearty chuckle was he walked with the reporters through his garden. "Oh, far from it. I owe them everything" he answered, referring to how the League helped Luthor gain a full pardon after he had helped them to defeat their evil multidimensional counterparts; the Justice Lords. "They trusted me when no one else would. I'd like to think we'd be friends one- what the devil?" he suddenly said in surprise as Supergirl and Steel swooped down from the sky, Supergirl grasping Luthor under his arms before they flew off.

"Let go! Unhand me!" the man insisted, struggling in the girl of steel's arms as they headed into Metropolis.

"Keep fighting me Lex, and I just might" the teen snarked as Luthor ceased his action, noting the significant distance between himself and the ground at this point.

"What is this about?" he asked with a frown before the teen looked down at him.

"There's an old friend of yours coming back to town" she replied, leaving him with a baffled expression before Steel clarified.

"Ivo's android" the inventor explained as Luthor's eyes widened. He remembered a few years back, when he had manipulated the Amazo the android into stealing technology for him, as well as having him attack the Justice League. Needless to say, when the android figured out that Luthor had used him, he didn't take it very well. Now if he was returning, one could easily imagine the intent of the visit.

"Wherever you're taking me won't be safe enough" Luthor said seriously before looking at the two heroes. "But I know just the place" he finished, giving both heroes a sense of unease.

However, the two were soon left surprised as Luthor directed them to a barbershop. Landing out front, Luthor carefully stepped down before dusting off his suit as he approached the door.

"A barbershop?" Supergirl asked in confusion as Steel smirked.

"Gotta hand it to you Luthor, no one would think to look for you here" he joked, as Luthor shot him a dark glare before rolling his eyes and entering. Once he did, the Barber inside gave him a nod, being one of Luthor's long-time associates. After sitting down and getting comfortable, Supergirl folded her arms, clearly underwhelmed by everything.

"Is that it?" she asked in a bored tone as Luthor smirked.

"Just watch" he said plainly before the barber pushed a button, encapsulating Luthor's chair inside a large egg-shaped pod, which disappeared down a hole that had appeared below it.

"Hey!" Supergirl shouted in surprise before she and Steel rapidly followed Luthor down the hole. However, that proved to be easier said than done as the hole quickly turned into a maze of separate and equally confusing tunnels and passages, most of which were lead-lined and full of Kryptonite. Deciding that they didn't have the time with the android rapidly approaching, they left to go and join up with the other defensive lines.

* * *

Superman floated just outside of the Earth's atmosphere, ready for the approaching battle. In preparation for the battle, he had gone to the Fortress of Solitude in order to retrieve a suit of Kryptonian armour which he now wore in order to increase the flow of solar radiation into his body, knowing he'd need every ounce of power he could get. Next to him, John anxiously toyed with the ring on his finger, watching the edges of space for the approaching android. Alongside them were a crowd of various heroes who could fight in space; Captain Atom, Orion the son of Darkseid, STRIPE, Starman, and Doctor Light. In addition to the heroes, the entire fleet of Javelins stood ready, piloted by ground heroes who couldn't physically stand up to Amazo, with the flagship helmed by Batman. Altogether it was an impressive wall of defense, but Superman still wondered if it would be enough to stop the android.

 ** _You cannot keep me from my goal…_**

The heroes each looked around in surprise, attempting to find the source of the voice.

"Telepathy" Superman murmured absentmindedly.

"I'm not impressed" Green Lantern said with a scowl.

"Why have you come back?" the man of steel demanded.

 ** _Why do you answer questions you already know the answer to?_**

"Luthor" Superman nodded in understanding.

Suddenly, a bright golden light appeared in the distance, rapidly approaching the defensive line as the heroes stood tense.

 ** _Of course…_**

"We're not giving him up" Superman said defiantly as he prepared his heat vision.

 ** _He's your enemy. You owe him nothing…_**

At this point, the full form of Amazo's golden body could be seen by the amassed Leaguers, his speed not decreasing in the slightest as he rapidly gained on them.

"Turn back now" Superman said, his heat vision growing in intensity to match the underlying threat in his voice.

 ** _I have evolved far beyond what I was when we last met. You do not want to challenge me…_**

Finally, after intense waiting, the android finally entered within the range of their weapons.

"Light 'im up!" Green lantern roared before summoning the largest blast he had ever created from his ring to lead the attack. Superman joined with his heat vision as Starman and Doctor Light fired powerful energy bolts, Captain Atom used gamma radiation, STRIPE let loose a barrage of missiles, and Orion launched dozens of bolts from his chariot.

"All Javelins fire at will!" Batman commanded as the ships each opened fire, the Leaguers inside launching every weapon they could at the android.

Together, the massive barrage of attacks formed a wall, ceasing the android in its tracks as it raised its hands to defend itself. After a moment of struggling, it was soon starting to be forced back from the power behind each assault.

Suddenly, and without warning, the android rocketed forward again, launching through the attacks as the blasted through the wall of heroes and continued through the atmosphere.

* * *

"Be prepared" Martian Manhunter called in a grim tone. "The space team has failed; he's coming"

"Not for long" Supergirl said with grim determination, masking the terror she felt inside. Amazo had just barreled through a group whose combined power could destroy the moon as if they were nothing to him but paper dolls, now it was up to her and a few others to attempt to stop him. Looking back at her team, she noted who stood with her; Steel, Red Tornado, Fire, and Rocket Red.

Eventually, her enhanced senses picked up Amazo's approach. The android rapidly flew towards the city before the Kryptonian teenager shot off to meet him above the skyline, pulling back a fist to strike him head on. The two figures collided, a massive wave of force radiating from them as they did. However, the android quickly and easily overpowered her, knocking her back several blacks before crashing her through a warehouse roof where she buried herself twelve feet deep in the concrete floor, leaving a crater in her wake. She looked back through the hole for a few seconds, seeing the android stare back at her before she elapsed into unconsciousness.

The four remaining heroes looked at her fallen form in concern, before Rocket Red returned fire, launching a barrage of missiles while also firing from the minigun attached to his shoulders. The android shrugged off each hit as he approached, Rocket flying backwards while keeping up his assault. Amazo soon caught up with him however before tearing the gun off of his shoulder and punching him back a fair distance.

The android was soon engulfed in a wave of emerald flames as he turned to see Fire launching her own attack on him. The android absorbed the fire easily before reaching out and grasping the Brazilian woman's throat slowly chocking her into unconsciousness. Before she passed out, Amazo's voice rang through her head.

 ** _Your bravery is admirable, but annoying…_**

Amazo haphazardly tossed her aside, as Red Tornado summoned a small twister to slow her descent. Rocket red flew forward to catch her before making a hasty retreat to ensure she was safe as Red Tornado summoned a much larger cyclone to engulf the opposing android. Amazo simply flew through the gale before using a beam of energy to cut the robot in half, sending its dismembered body to the rooftop below. Steel tried to attack with his hammer but he was quickly backhanded away through a skyscraper.

Then Amazo's descent continued.

* * *

On the ground below, Wonder Woman heard her communicator ping before she answered it in dread.

"The second line of defense is down?" she asked.

"Yes" J'onn answered simply. "You're all that is left. Good luck"

The Amazon grimaced before turning to look at her own team; Ice, Flash, Sandman, Vigilante, Shining Knight, and Atom Smasher. After a moment she nodded as each of them got ready for what was to come. Atom Smasher immediately grew to his full two hundred foot height while Sandman formed two large mallets.

"I can't believe this. I'm about to fight a planet-destroying robot with nothing but two hammers made out of sand" he said plainly as Flash nodded.

"Leaves you kinda speechless, don't it?" the speedster asked with a nervous chuckle as a golden flicker could be seen on the horizon quickly approaching.

* * *

Back on the Watchtower, Martian Manhunter looked over the state of the League with a frown. All of the Javelins had been recalled to assess their damage, while heroes from the previous two teams were brought aboard for immediate treatment. Suddenly, his head looked up as he felt a presence enter the room.

"Have you come to offer help?" the Martian asked as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

The figure wore a blue jumpsuit, accented with a gold belt, boots, gloves, and cape. On his head he wore a golden helmet that shielded his entire face, with nothing to hint at his appearance except for two white shining eyes.

"Not help" Dr. Fate, the Sorcerer Supreme of that Universe explained. "Hope"

* * *

Amazo finally landed on the ground, standing in front of the barbershop before Wonder Woman's ground team surrounded him entirely. The android looked at them, and despite his obvious lack of emotion, he appeared both bored and frustrated.

 ** _When will you learn?_**

Amazo suddenly raised his hands before releasing a massive blast of energy at the heroes. All of them were knocked back, even Atom Smasher was sent crashing to the ground with little effort, with Flint's sand scattering in all directions in a cloud as the Android went to open the door.

The sand quickly swirled together before reforming Flint's body as he took a tentative step forward, seeing the other members of his team strewn about and out of commission.

"Uh oh" he blurted out, suddenly piquing the interest of the Android, who turned to face him. "Hi…" the hero said weakly, before giving a nervous grin.

 ** _You are more resilient than the others who have attempted to stop me…_**

"Nah, I'm just a pile of sand" he nervously chuckled before clearing his throat. "Listen… I know that I probably don't offer much and I'm obviously not gonna stop you physically, but before you continue your campaign for Luthor, can you at least humour me?" he asked, causing the android to pause and think for a moment.

 ** _Very well. What is it that you require from me?_**

"An answer. Would you be willing to talk? Privately? At least for a moment…" Flint asked nervously, hoping if nothing else but to buy some time for the others.

The android stared at him curiously. True, this being was largely of no threat or circumstance, and he could easily defeat him as well in his search for his target. However, nothing had yet managed to withstand an energy attack from him, and his curiosity was getting the better of him.

 ** _As you wish._**

Suddenly, Amazo and Flint disappeared in a flash of white light.

* * *

Back in space, Superman looked around with a frown at the debris left by the Javelins. He couldn't believe just how easily Amazo had crippled him and the rest of his barrier. Nothing would be able to stop the android at this point. That was when he noticed a bright green light approaching from the corner of his vision. He and John turned to see the arrival of several dozen Green Lanterns, being led by Kyle Rayner. They had escaped the destruction of Oa, and gathered every other Lantern they could on their way in, using their rings to assist with finishing the clean up as John approached Kyle.

"You're alive!" he said hopefully as Kyle gave a somber frown.

"Which is more than I can say for Oa" the younger lantern answered as John's face grew serious once again.

"What's the plan?"

"We're gonna use every bit of power we have left in our rings. We'll take one last shot at the android" Kyle said seriously as John looked at him in shock.

"A blast like that could destroy half the planet!"

Kyle looked down at Earth ruefully before turning to John once more. "Half a planet is better than none"

* * *

J'onn and Fate heard the entire conversation between John and the other Lanterns as the Martian sat back in his chair with a sigh. "It's the only way"

"Those words are always used to justify destruction" the Magician answered snidely as J'onn turned to face him.

"We can only guess how much power the android has amassed as it's made its way across the galaxy. It has to be stopped Fate! Here and now, not just for the sake of this world, but for all worlds"

The magician watched him for a moment, before floating into the air and looking down in disappointment. "Then for the sake of all worlds I will continue to seek a better way" he said seriously, about to leave before he suddenly froze in shock.

"Doctor? What is it?" J'onn asked, sensing the sudden change in his demeanor.

"The android has left the planet's surface. It's gone"

"Gone? Gone where?"

* * *

Far across the galaxy, Flint and Amazo reappeared on the surface of some unknown planet. Flint stared out into the sky in shock as he saw an endless expanse of stars, moons, and galaxies all far outside the reach of the planet's atmosphere.

"What… what is this place?"

 ** _An uninhabited world. I often come here to think. I rather like the peace and quiet. You wished to speak privately, so talk._**

He turned to face the android before nodding and sitting on a rock, gesturing for Amazo to do the same. "Why exactly are you after Luthor?" he asked, wondering why exactly he had come.

 ** _He used me. He tricked me into stealing for him, into fighting the League for him. I wish to exact my revenge._**

Sandman nodded grimly, understanding the android's intention. "Alright, I get that. But, why kill him? Sure, he's done bad things to a lot of people, but why do you get to decide his fate?"

 ** _Luthor is a villain, he has hurt your world time and time again. He needs to be stopped._**

"Luthor's already dying of cancer. He's trying to reform, and even if he wasn't, the League is monitoring every action he takes. He can't do anything without us knowing", he continued, but the android shook his head, apparently unmoved. Flint frowned at that reaction before looking down and thinking.

'What now? There's gotta be something' he thought desperately before coming up with an idea.

"Well, what next?"

 ** _What do you mean?_**

"After Luthor is dead, what are you gonna do? Do you have a plan, or are you just gonna go and sit here and stare blankly for the next thousand years?"

This took Amazo by surprise. He hadn't quite thought of that conclusion, and he was left struggling to find an answer. He really didn't have a plan after he had completed his goal.

 ** _I… I had not thought about that._**

"Well you do have time to think about it. Hell, you have an entire choice about what you do"

 ** _A choice?_**

"Yeah. You can choose to be better, to not kill Luthor. You can choose to take the high ground"

 ** _But if I don't kill Luthor, what is my purpose then?_**

"Your purpose was never to kill Luthor. That is something you have to choose for yourself, you make your own choice"

Once again, the android was lost for words as he pondered Flint's words. Finally, after a few minutes he looked up at Flint with what could only be described as the closest the Amazo could get to a smirk.

 ** _What about your choice? Why are you doing the things you're doing?_**

Flint was taken aback by the question asked to him, before he shrugged with a small laugh. "My choice eh? Well you're a telepath. Take a look" he answered with a smirk, once more puzzling Amazo before the android did as it was asked. Suddenly, he was bombarded with various memories of Flint, fighting heroes he had never heard of, teaming up with villains of all sorts, becoming a hero, reverting back to a villain, meeting the Justice League, and finally up to where he was today.

 ** _That is your choice?_**

"Yep. All of it"

 ** _What brought you to this conclusion?_**

"My daughter. I thought being a villain was best for her, but it wasn't. So I tried to go straight, and it felt better. Much better. Being a hero here? It's honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me"

 ** _I see. And I can make my own choice?_**

"You can"

 ** _Can you help me? Find my purpose I mean._**

Flint shook his head before laughing slightly. "Unfortunately I can't. That something only you can do" he answered as Amazo looked down pensively. "But I can give you advice if you need it"

 ** _Advice?_**

"Yeah, if you ever have a question, I'm available to answer" he continued before the android nodded, as they both again disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

The Lanterns arrived down in front of the barbershop, before being immediately shocked at how the android was missing… in addition to the missing Sandman. They immediately relayed a message to the Watchtower and soon enough Batman had arrived with the two heroes well enough to assist; Green Arrow and Zatanna.

"What happened?" the dark knight demanded as Flash walked over, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well uh… Amazo kind of…"

"Kind of what?" Batman said, narrowing his eyes.

"He took Flint"

Flash wasn't sure what he found more frightening; Batman's death glare, the silence that followed, or Zatanna's somehow scarier death glare.

"And you just let him be taken?!" she demanded in rage as the emerald archer took a step back in fear.

"It's not quite that simple" a new voice called as a floating purple ankh appeared as Dr. Fate faded into view of the gathered heroes.

"How so?" John Stewart asked, stepping forward.

"Flint is not in any danger" the sorcerer answered to their surprise.

"Then what exactly is he doing with the android, in the middle of who knows where?" Zatanna pressed as the lord of order looked at her.

"Flint Marko is saving the world" he answered before a white flash of light illuminated the block, all present heroes shielding their eyes from its intensity. Once it faded, Flint and Amazo stood in the midst of the crowd.

"Flint!" Zatanna called out before rushing over and wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Flint move!" John shouted, pushing the pair aside as he raised his ring at the android, along with the other lanterns.

"John stop, it's over" Flint insisted.

"Flint is correct. The android has proven benign before, and that is very much the case now"

"Benign? You call destroying Oa benign?!" John snarls as Flint blinks plainly.

'Can't believe I forgot about that part' he mentally berated himself.

 ** _I did not destroy Oa. I moved it out of the way._**

The Lanterns all paused, lowering their rings at the revelation of what exactly had happened, blinking in wonder and confusion.

 ** _It was in my way._**

"Well… could you move it back then?" John asked, trying desperately to keep his voice down. The android's eyes glowed for a moment before he looked at the lantern.

 ** _Done._**

Once he was finished, he turned to look at Flint before nodding in thanks.

 ** _Your friends have done nothing to warrant the harm I brought them. I will rectify my mistake._**

Once again, Amazo's eyes glowed before a wave of golden energy surrounded the injured Leaguers and the broken Javelins. In seconds each were restored back to their prime, leaving several confused heroes as well as several technicians who were in the middle of repairing the now undamaged javelins within the Watchtower.

 ** _With that being done, I shall take my leave. It is time for me to find my purpose._**

Before the android could leave however, Dr. Fate placed his hand on his shoulder, catching its attention as the magician stared up at the golden android. "I can help you in your search for meaning" the sorcerer said.

 ** _Help me? Why?_**

"Because like Sandman, I am a member of the Justice League, and it is our job to assist those in need of help. Besides, a problem as abstract as yours, can only be solved with the help of someone who manipulates the abstract" Fate explained, as Amazo seemed to mull his offer over in his head.

 **… _I accept your offer Dr._**

Fate nodded before suddenly a purple ankh appeared, and enveloped both of them as they disappeared.

With Oa returned to where it was before, the Lanterns bid the League thanks for their help before departing back to Oa, save of course for John.

"Thanks for that Flint. You did good, real good" the Lantern commented as he stared out into Metropolis while Batman and green Arrow had since gone to help the other members of the ground team back up.

"No worries, I just took a gamble and it paid off" he laughed before being interrupted by Zatanna.

"You took a gamble? You mean you did what was probably the most ridiculous, dangerous, and insane move you could have without even thinking it would work?!" the magician shrieked as the Lantern bid a hasty retreat, Flint shooting him a brief pleading look before focusing back on Zatanna.

"Look Z…"

"Oh don't you Z me! You are in such damn trouble!"

"How much trouble?" he asked with a frown as the magician paused to think. After what seemed like an eternity, Zatanna suddenly took on a smirk that sent shivers down his spine.

"The next five dates, all on you" she decided as he looked at her in confusion.

"Really? That's it?" he asked.

"Of course. Although, I'm choosing everything"

"Everything?"

"Everything. I hope you can afford me" she smirked before walking off to where Diana was.

"Sounds like you got of pretty easy" Arrow commented as Flint shook his head.

"Knowing her, I think I would have preferred something painful"

* * *

Dr. Fate and Amazo soon arrived on the other side of the spell, finding themselves inside the Tower of Fate, the sorcerer's home and the location of all his spells. While the android explored the house, examining the artifacts and books with interest, Fate stepped out to meet with a raven haired woman, who wore a yellow blouse and blue pants.

"We have another guest Inza" he said to his wife after greeting her. "Would you prepare a place for him?"

"Of course Kent" Inza nodded kindly before shaking Amazo's hand. "Welcome" she greeted much to the android's surprise at her formality and forwardness.

"Are you all right?" she asked her husband with interest as he removed his helmet before he gave a light chuckle.

"I am fine" Fate smiled before shrugging. "Although there was a moment where I thought John Stewart was going to attack me"

"Oh I don't know about that" a new voice called before a red haired woman with white wings and bright green eyes approached from one of the side rooms, revealing herself as the Kent's other guest; Shayera Hol.

"His bark is a lot worse than his bite" the Thanagarian finished with a smirk.

* * *

 **And done!**

 **As always be sure to read and review this chapter, and leave any sorts of ideas that you might have. I'd be glad to hear them.**

 **Next time, Ultimatum aka "How many Superfriends jokes can I make while also moving the plot forwards?"**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	11. Ultimatum

**Hey everyone! WafflesTheApprentice back with yet another chapter!**

 **Once again I'm thankful to all of you for sticking around as long as you have, especially with how irregular the update schedule can end up being. However, in the next few weeks we will be approaching the one year anniversary of Sandman Unlimited! In celebration of this, not only will a new chapter be uploaded on the day of the anniversary, but I will be holding a Q+A session for it! Just leave your questions in a review, or PM me a question and I'll answer it in the next chapter. The questions can be about anything. The story itself, the characters, even future stories (Because those are coming *wink-wink*) so ask away!**

 **Speaking of questions, let's answer a few!**

 **Jestalnaker94000: General Eiling? That fight is still two seasons away. But we'll get there. Hopefully Flint will handle himself okay ;)**

 **Dion ComicWhiz: Man, did you read my mind for when I was writing this chapter? In any case, I hope you enjoy it.**

 **TerrorKing10: Well, One of them will certainly join the League. The others, well I have a plan for them.**

 **For this chapter, I was lucky to find a beta. However, they said they would only do this one chapter for me. Now that' unfortunate, but I can deal with it. But this does leave me needing a new beta reader. If you are interested in the job, and helping me to write this story, just PM me and I'll get back to you.**

 **Sandman and all other Marvel characters are owned by Marvel and therefore Disney. The Justice League, Ultimen, and all related characters are all property of DC comics. I own nothing except the idea of this story.**

 **Without** **further ado, onto the next chapter!**

* * *

Thanks to his extensive career as a villain and as a hero in both his home universe and this new one, Sandman was no stranger to strange monsters and situations. From Moleman, who command legions of underground monsters, to Monsieur Mallah and the Brain who were French supervillains that happened to be a gorilla and a genius brain in a robot respectively, to even the enigmatic and utterly harmless Condiment King (Quite harmless really). So there wasn't much left in the hero career that could really phase him, or at the very least surprise him.

But he had to admit, lava monsters from beneath the earth's crust rising out of the ocean to attack an offshore oil rig was fairly odd.

The mission itself was pretty self-explanatory; Aquaman required assistance in fighting the monsters, so Sandman joined Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman in the defense. While Flint was more than happy to help, he wasn't so sure he was the best choice for the situation.

"Something wrong Flint? You're looking a little unsure" Diana called as she roped a monster with her lasso before swinging it over the side of the rig.

"Yeah I guess. I just don't mix well with water" Flint admitted sheepishly.

"Oh? But the ocean floor is nothing but sand, you should be at your prime here"

"That might be true, but then again water likes to turn Sandman into Mudman" the former crook retorted before striking two monsters back with an enlarged fist. "Remind me again how exactly this happened Aquaman"

"These 'geniuses' dug right into the Earth's magma. It never occurred to them that there might be anything living down there" the King of the Atlantis said with disdain. Initially Flint wasn't quite sure what to make of the aquatic hero. At first, he couldn't help but compare him to Namor. However, that quickly shifted when he got to know Aquaman. Unlike Namor, Aquaman wasn't a violent egomaniac. He was also firmly a hero, despite being only a part-time member of the Justice League.

"Well it's not like they're especially difficult" Flint frowned before punching another back. "There's just so many of them! We might have to plug the hole!" he called as the five heroes regrouped to attack another wave of the monsters head on. However, before they could engage, a sudden twister appeared on the rig before picking up the monsters and tossing them aside through the air.

"Not to worry fellow heroes!" A youthful voice called. "The Ultimen are here!" the Asian man continued as he and four other heroes each struck poses, leaving the Leaguers to a mixture of disdain and frustration.

"Not them again" Aquaman muttered, shaking his head while Flint pinched the bridge of his nose. While the Ultimen hadn't been around in the hero world for very long, they were already very notorious. Not only were they government backed, but they were incredibly popular worldwide.

That, and they had some seriously inflated egos.

The leader of the team was Wind Dragon, the young Asian hero who knocked the monsters aside moments before. He had the ability to conjure and harness wind. His first team mate was Juice, an African-American boy who could generate large quantities of electricity as well as turn into living lightning (reminding Flint of an old acquaintance of his). Next was Longshadow, a Navajo teen who could grow immensely in size, which he demonstrated as he grew to twenty feet before kicking a monster off into a container. Lastly there were the twins, Shifter and Downpour. Both had white skin and hair, with red eyes and pointed ears. Downpour possessed the ability to transform into living water while his sister Shifter could turn into any sort of animal.

While having some seriously over bearing personalities at times, the kids at least meant well, even if they failed most of the time to recognize the true duty of a superhero. It wasn't about the fame and fortune, it was about doing the right thing, and helping people.

Despite their initial reluctance to admit it, the Leaguers were thankful to have the extra hands on deck. One of the monsters vomited magma onto Superman, burying the man of steel as the molten rock quickly hardened around him.

"Now, is that nice?" Wind Dragon called arrogantly, directing the attention of the monsters towards him and Juice. Juice pressed his hands against a nearby wall before channeling electricity to attack the monsters, sending them to the floor.

"You know Juice, Superman was my hero when I was a lad; it's not his fault he's getting old" the hero laughed.

Despite the large quantity of rock covering him, Superman's anger at that comment was palpable as he clearly growled out "Old?!" before flexing his arms and easily shattering the rock, sending shards everywhere.

"Old but spry sir" Wind Dragon apologized sheepishly, with a nervous chuckle. "Old but spry"

Wonder Woman however, was doing far better with her own impromptu partner Longshadow. Launching forward she knocked a small group of the monsters off onto a lower level of the platform while Longshadow wrestled two more off the edge.

"It's… ugh… It's a real honour to be working with you Wonder Woman" the teen said with some strain as he continued to wrestle the monsters.

At his comment, she gave a small smile as she roped a few more monsters with her lasso. "Likewise Longshadow" she complimented before the two charged another group together.

Off to the side, Downpour and Shifter leaned against a railing as they watched the other heroes fighting the monsters. Flint looked at them in annoyance before sighing. "Are you two wonder twins enjoying the show? Or you gonna actually do something?"

Downpour rolled his eyes at the comment before looking at his sister. "Well, shall we help them?"

"I suppose so" Shifter shrugged. "You assist Wonder Woman and our team mate while I Sandman" she decided before turning into a ram and rushing forward as Downpour became a river to wash aside a few more monsters.

"Need a hand?" Shifter asks as she quickly changed into a Rhino to tackle an oncoming monster. Lint rolled his eyes this time before turning his hands into mallets for another attack.

"There a particular reason you sit out? Do you do that often? Does Wind Dragon get so wrapped up in his ego that he literally forgets you're there?"

"That's… not too far off actually" the shape shifter said in surprise as Flint smirked.

"I know of his type" Flint remarked remembering the time he met Booster Gold.

Batman and Aquaman hurriedly climbed up to the top of the rig as they watched the last of the monsters continue their ascent.

"Can you make telepathic contact?" Batman asked.

The King of Atlantis furrowed his brows as he folded his arms across his chest. "Do they look like fish to you?"

"Don't despair old chums!" Wind Dragon called as he used a tornado to fly up after them, before summoning a massive burst of power to create his most powerful winds yet. The gale rapidly poured down to where the others were still fighting, leaving Flint to stare at it with a frown.

"You gotta be kidding" he dead panned before his sand was blown away with the wind, as Longshadow grew in size to stop Wonder Woman and Shifter from being carried away as well.

Once the wind died down, the last of the monsters were revealed to have been frozen solid by the wind, almost like it were a blizzard.

"I didn't know you could do that" Longshadow commented as the rest of the Ultimen gathered around Wind Dragon.

"Neither did I" their leader replied. Just after he spoke, a stream of sand reformed before their eyes after flying in from off the side of the oil rig. It quickly reformed into a less than amused Flint who shot a death glare at Wind Dragon.

"Pull that again, and I'll show you what I can do with the forty thousand tons of sand beneath this rig" the Leaguer said plainly as Wind Dragon hastily nodded.

* * *

Soon afterwards, the monsters were removed by the workers on the rig as a news crew came in to interview the heroes. The League of course, politely refused, however the Ultimen were more than happy to take centre stage with the reporters. While the Leaguers weren't bothered per say, listening to Wind Dragon ramble on about preserving the planet was starting to wear down on them. His pompous speech was sounding more and more like a commercial with each passing minute.

"He's certainly… earnest" Aquaman frowned.

"I think the word is 'corny'" Superman muttered as Sandman sighed.

"How long can this kid keep talking for anyway?"

Once the interview ended, Wonder Woman walked over to the Ultimen. "Our paths keep crossing, and our goals are very much the same. Isn't it time that you accepted our offer?" she asked, referencing the numerous occasions where the Ultimen were offered League membership, but the young heroes refused each time.

"All right!" Longshadow said excitedly, however it appeared that none of his team mates shared the same sentiment as Wind Dragon raised a hand to quiet him.

"We're truly flattered Wonder Woman, but we're simply not ready" the leader remarked as Flint shook his head.

"That's the dumbest thing you said yet. You handled the situation fairly well today… the part you blew me far off the rig notwithstanding. You just need some proper training then you'll be perfect for the League" Flint remarked as Wind Dragon gave a small chuckle.

"I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we appreciate your kind words, but we're just not ready. This is something that we want to earn for ourselves" the Asian hero answered before Flint shrugged. Once the Ultimen had left Flint smirked.

"Well I tried. Maybe next time" he joked, causing Aquaman and Superman to smirk as Wonder Woman gave him a small hit on the head.

* * *

'This must be how Spider-Man feels' Flint inwardly groaned as he and the rest of the team from the platform mission watched as Maxwell Lord, the CEO and sponsor of the Ultimen repeatedly bad-mouthed the League, calling them reckless and loose cannons.

"I can't listen to any more of this" Superman said before turning off the TV they were watching it from. "That guy's dripping more oil than that platform ever did"

"He's gotta keep his hair greasy somehow" Flint sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"He has the gall to take cheap shots at us" Aquaman grumbled, clenching his remaining fist tightly.

"I know Maxwell Lord" Batman interjected before narrowing his eyes. "All he cares about is money"

"Well it takes more than money to do what we do. After all, not all of us are independently wealthy" Wonder Woman countered as Batman remained unconvinced.

"Lord's a walking ego who will do anything for a buck and some free publicity. If he's involved in this, it isn't about helping people"

"Lord's just some big business CEO with sack of pennies where his brain should be" Flint said. "Yeah he's a moron, but the kids at least seem genuine. They're reckless and in some cases egomaniacs, but they could make decent heroes someday" he argued as the others remained unconvinced.

"They do seem like a nice bunch of kids" Wonder Woman continued before their conversation eventually ended. The others filed out, however before Flint could leave, Batman pulled him aside.

"I have a job for you, if you're up for it"

"A job? What kind?"

"Surveillance. I'll let you know when the time is right"

* * *

Far away in Midway City, in a large upscale penthouse apartment, the Ultimen sat around enjoying their night off. Juice reclined in front of the TV, Wind Dragon was talking to his girlfriend of the week over the phone, while the twins were heavily invested in their own poker game. The only member of the team not enjoying themselves was Longshadow who leaned on the back wall, frowning to himself.

"So last night" Downpour started with disdain " _Inside Celebrity_ did a whole segment on Wind Dragon, and Mr. Swelled Head doesn't even mention the rest of us" he complained before noticing his Sister's winning hand as she takes the large pile of cash with a smirk. He groaned before shaking his head with an exacerbated sigh. "When do I get to be team leader?" he demanded.

"When your teeth sparkle like mine" Wind Dragon retorted as Shifter rolls her eyes.

"Does anyone know the deal with that Sandman guy? I mean the other members of the Justice League all existed before the Thanagarian invasion, but he just came out of nowhere" Shifter asked before a chuckling could be heard coming down the hallway.

"Kids, kids" Maxwell Lord laughed as he entered the room. "Why do you want to be associated with those has-beens? Your faces are on the walls of every twelve year old in America"

"Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm sick of being a teen idol" Downpour complained, standing up. "There's more to me than just a pretty face" he finished before shooting a glare at his snickering sister.

"Did I forget to give you the royalty check for the new water-spouting Downpour action figure?" Lord asked with a smooth grin as he gave the hero a slip of paper, which made Downpour's eyes widen at the number of zeroes. "And that's just domestic" the billionaire added.

At that Longshadow finally stood up straight before addressing the others. "What I want to know is…"

"Why can't we join the Justice League?" his team mates finished for him, as he frowned to himself. For the last few weeks the size changer had been asking that question, and his team mates were a little more than tired of having to hear it, even if they had the same question burning in their minds, no matter how much they would deny it.

"Hey it's alright, I used to think like that" Wind Dragon smiled before placing a hand on his team mate's shoulder.

"Used to? What changed?"

Wind Dragon shrugged before walking off. "I don't know. Guess I just started wanting stuff"

Lord was about to chime in before his cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID before inwardly panicking as he walked over to the door. The Ultimen watched him leave before returning to their previous activities; Every so often Max would get a call like that, so they were used to him leaving.

Once in the next room, Lord answered the phone, arguing with the person on the other end of the line. "Yes but… just because Wind Dragon has a new power we... yes, I know but… but" he sighed before continuing. "I'll check it out Ma'am. I'll have them all checked out" he finished before hanging up the phone and looking into the other room where the kids were, a rare look of worry crossing his face.

* * *

"You know just once I would like a break. Not long, just a day. Maybe an afternoon, tops!" Flint complained as a giant foot stepped on him, sending his sand flying out in clouds of dust. He and Wonder Woman had been sent down to help assist against Giganta, who had arrived at Super Max prison, attempting to liberate her boyfriend Gorilla Grodd. Flint reformed his body before smashing her ankle with an enlarged fist, knocking her off balance long enough for Wonder Woman to deliver an uppercut that sent the villainess crashing into an empty part of the prison.

"Come on Giganta" the Amazon said. "How long are you gonna be Grodd's errand-girl?"

"As long as he needs me" the giantess replied, standing up.

"I took you apart before, why go through it again?" Wonder Woman warned.

"Because this time, I've got help" Giganta smirked before Bizarro, an imperfect Superman clone suddenly charged in, tackling Wonder Woman.

"Bizarro here, to save the day!" the clone sang as Flint actually laughed.

"Please tell me that's your personal jingle" he joked before striking the clone with two sandy maces, giving Wonder Woman the chance to stand up again.

"You handle the living B-movie, I can handle the clone" Flint called as Wonder Woman nodded.

"Bizarro am no clone, Bizarro am Superman" the clone said in confusion.

"If you say so" Sandman shrugged before attacking him again. In the confusion, Giganta had resumed her progress towards Grodd's cell before looking down to see Longshadow standing in her way. She gave him a condescending sneer.

"Out of the way, tiny" she laughed.

Longshadow shot her a mild glare before focusing his powers, growing until he towered over Giganta by a good twenty feet.

"You were saying?" the teen smirked as Giganta's arms slumped in defeat.

"Oh poop" she muttered before Longshadow punched her across the face, sending her to the ground, out for the count as she landed next to where Flint and Bizarro were still fighting.

Wonder Woman flew in, giving the clone an uppercut as she joined Flint. "Can't you see Giganta is just using you?" she asked

Bizarro glared at her in rage before backhanding her into a wall. "Me do anything for woman I love! Even break her boyfriend out of jail!"

"What's gonna happen to you then?" Wonder Woman asked, causing him to pause and think over what she said.

"I can smell the wood burning" Flint smirked as he watched the clone before Wonder Woman punched him back, into Longshadow's waiting foot, kicking him in Flint's direction who finally finished the clone with one good mallet to his face.

"Good team work there you two" Wonder Woman commented as Longshadow shrank back down to normal.

* * *

The heroes stuck around long enough to help the prison guards add the two newest prisoners to their own cells before retreating off into the distance. The three climbed up a hill overlooking the prison as they sat, with Longshadow explaining his origins to the two Leaguers.

"Believe it or not, when I was born I was small and sickly. Luckily, my parents were scientists; they were experimenting with growth hormones. I guess their experiments were a success" he laughed as the two Leaguers nodded, having their own smiles.

"Where are your parents now?" Diana asked curiously as Longshadow frowned.

"Mom… passed away. Dad's retired" he answered before looking at them with a hopeful smile. "So you really think I could make it in the Justice League with you two?"

"Bizarro and Giganta are some pretty heavy-hitters and you held your own against them. I think that warrants being ready" Flint nodded.

"I agree. You are most certainly League material" Wonder Woman agreed, giving the teen a hopeful smile before looked down with a frown again.

"But I guess… I guess I owe it to the Ultimen to…" he started before his cell phone rang. He cast the others a sheepish glance before answering it. "Yeah? Okay, right away" he answered the other lone before hanging up. "I've gotta go. Some sort of team meeting"

The Leaguers nodded, bidding Longshadow farewell as he started heading back to Ultimen HQ.

"You coming to the Watchtower Flint?" Wonder Woman asked.

"I'll catch up, bats wanted me to handle something here before I return" he answered as the Amazon nodded. As his team mate was teleported away, Flint remembered what it was that Batman had told him after their meeting earlier that day.

 _-Flashback-_

"So what kind of surveillance do you need me to do bats?"

"I don't trust Lord's motives with the Ultimen. There has to be something else to it…" the dark knight said before narrowing his eyes. "… or someone else"

"You want me to spy on them then?"

"Not quite" the detective answered before handing him a USB drive. "I want you to go to their headquarters and plug this into a computer there. From it, I can search and download any data pertaining to them either sent to or from any device they have"

"What if they can lead me to where the big shots involved are?"

"That would be even better"

Flint thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright, you got it bats"

 _-Flashback End-_

"Alright, let's see what Lord's really all about" Flint nodded before following Longshadow at a distance.

* * *

Back at Ultimen HQ, Longshadow and the rest of the team had been taken over to a nearby building, where they were placed in a medical ward. They hadn't been told by Max why they were there, only that it was important for their health. The five of them had been lying in the beds for hours, various wires and IV needles in them as each got more and more anxious with every passing minute.

"How long are they gonna keep us here?" Shifter asked impatiently.

"What's the hurry sis? Gotta get home to wax your mustache?" Downpour joked as Juice laughed.

"Well I for one have a date" Wind Dragon said as Juice smirked.

"Survey. Anyone shocked?" the electrokinetic jokes as the other teammates laughed to Wind Dragon's chagrin. But Juice had a point. Wind Dragon had never been single for more than three days at a time. Women constantly threw themselves at him.

On the other side of the mirror in the room, Lord was looking through the 2-way glass at the teens, Professor Hamilton standing alongside as he ran some tests through the computer.

"It's worse than we thought" Hamilton breathed as Lord looked at him with worry, while the professor showed him the results on a computer screen. "The Ultimen's genetic code is breaking down. Wind Dragon in particular is showing rapid signs of degradation. But they're all in the early stages of failure"

"How long?" Lord asked.

"A few months, or a few days" Hamilton answered as Lord looked down in sadness at the somber response. As much as he would deny it, he has come to care for the kids. "And the process will be painful. We should do anything we can to help them" the professor continued.

"That's not our priority" a new voice said seriously as the men turned to see Amanda Waller shooting them her standard steel-faced glare. Both men inwardly froze in fear, knowing full well that she was single-handedly the most dangerous woman on the planet.

"But Mrs. Waller, I really think that we…" Max started to argue before she cast him a condescending glance.

"Since when did your opinion count Lord?" she asked in a monotone voice before turning to Hamilton. "How fast can you get the second team up and running?"

In the other room, Longshadow grimaced at what he was hearing. Unbeknownst to the rest of his team, and even to Max, he also possessed superhuman senses. It was incredibly useful for tracking, and while not as powerful as Superman's, he could still clearly hear what was being said. Every word filled him with more and more dread every passing minute.

After a long pause, Lord entered the room with his usual bombastic attitude. "Good news troops! Wind Dragon's new power is nothing to be concerned about. But just to be safe, Hamilton wants you to stay overnight for observation" he explained as the team groaned in protest. However, before they could continue, Longshadow held a hand up to silence them. "No problem Max, we'll be happy to stay" the size changer said as Max nodded before leaving the room and returning to Hamilton and Waller. After another minute of conversation the three left to go and do other things.

Once the whole room was quiet, a few grains of sand fell out of a vent, followed by more and more. After a minute, Sandman reformed his body in the room before plugging the USB into the computer as he pressed a hand to his communicator. "Did you get all that bats?"

"Loud and clear" came the detectives reply as the USB forwarded to him dozens of files, enough to keep him busy sifting through them for weeks. Files about the Ultimen, as well as several other projects he never heard of. Project Galatea, Project Wonderdog, and a particularly alarming one he would have to read through later labelled "Task Force X". However, the firewall on each of these would on their own take weeks to break through.

"This genetic degradation isn't good bats. We gotta help these kids"

"But how? No one in the League can handle genetic repair of this magnitude"

Flint groaned in frustration before looking up with a sudden idea. "No one in the League can, but I know some people who could definitely help"

"From your world you mean?"

"Yeah I do. I can have them here in just a few minutes if you can give me Watchtower co-ordinates" he nodded as the dark knight mulled the options over.

"Finish with the download, then we'll get them here" Batman said as Flint nodded.

"Just another minute and we'll be ready" he nods before taking out a second communicator he kept just in case. "Reed, come in. It's Flint. I'm gonna need your help with something. Bring Wolverine and I'll explain when you get here"

* * *

A few hours later, the Ultimen had snuck out of the room they were assigned to. They were supposed to be watching a movie, but none of them were paying attention to it. Then, half an hour in, Longshadow finally gave them the signal as they left the room to go snooping around the building. First Juice travelled through the walls to disable every security camera in their way before the entire team proceeded down the hall, incapacitating the occasional guards that they ran into.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Shifter asked as they ran through the halls.

"We'll know when we find it" Longshadow answered as they came across what looked like an animal testing lab full of cages. Shifter approached one before jumping back as a giant mutant dog charged the bars in front of her.

"What is that?!" she asked in surprise as Downpour read the tag on the cage.

"Project: Wonderdog?" he questioned.

"Over there!" Wind Dragon called as he and his team approached five liquid filled tubes at the back of the room. Inside the tubes however, were the Ultimen! They were clones obviously, but the team was shocked at this violation of themselves. Shifter wept at the sudden revelation was they each looked to each other in worry.

* * *

"So what exactly is the problem here bub?" a short, surly man asked as he lit his cigar. The man's name was Wolverine, and he wore his trademark yellow and blue costume as he and Reed Richards listened intently with Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Superman as Flint recounted the situation.

"These kids are test tube babies, made to be the so called perfect heroes. According to the files, they were also weapons in case we went rogue" Flint explained. At the mention of living Weapons, Long's hands clenched into tight fists as he let out a low, yet feral growl, being reminded of Weapon X.

"What sort of physical ailment are they undergoing Flint?" Reed asked as Flint handed him a file he copied.

"According to the tests, some sort of genetic degradation. That's about all I know"

Reed looked through the files with a frown as the analysed the problem. Superman watched anxiously before clearing his throat.

"Can you do anything for them Dr. Richards?"

"Please call me Reed, and I most certainly can" the malleable scientist nodded. "I just need a sample of their DNA in order to synthesize a cure from Logan's blood"

"His blood?" Batman asked skeptically.

"Yes. His mutation grants him an accelerated metabolism and healing factor. He can quite literally regrow an entire limb if he needed to"

"And I have needed to" the shorter hero grunted.

"Do you happen to have a sample of their DNA?" Reed asked as Flint held up a small rack of test tubes, each labeled with the names of the Ultimen.

"Actually I do. I figured it would come in handy"

"Then let's get to work. I can have the cure synthesized in less than ten minutes if we hurry" Reed said as each of the heroes nodded.

* * *

Back in the laboratory, Hamilton and Lord were examining the clones in the tubes for signs of tampering as guards ran around the facility, searching for the original Ultimen.

"The clones are unharmed" Hamilton announced to Waller as she entered. "However, some test tubes with their blood are missing"

"Security can't find trace of the Ultimen" Waller replied as she folded her arms across her chest. "And the test tubes are inconsequential, but I want you to find them Lord, and bring them back"

Lord gave her an incredulous look before shaking his head. "They're not going to trust me, or anyone else, not after…"

"Bring them back" Waller demanded harshly. "Or I'm calling the squad in to put them down" she said to Lord's dismay before looking at Hamilton. "I want this laboratory dismantled and relocated. No loose ends" she finished before walking out of the room.

* * *

Maxwell Lord frowned deeply as he hurried down to his car. He was thoroughly disgusted with not only himself, but his actions. It was his greed that got him into this mess with the Ultimen, not the kids were going to be put down all because they knew the truth. It was all too much for him to bear, especially with these kids that he had grown fond of over the months he was working with them. He was so distracted, he didn't notice the sudden breeze until it picked up, tossing him into the side of his car. The wind then picked him up before carrying up on top of the building and dropping him off where he was surrounded by the thoroughly angry Ultimen.

"You lied to us Max" Wind Dragon accused as the billionaire slowly stood up.

"I was only trying to protect you from people who don't have your best interests at heart, and I won't rest until…" he lied, doing by instinct what he had learned to do over several years.

"Spare us the performance!" Wind Dragon shouted before nodding to the twins.

"Water!"

"Lion!"

Max suddenly found himself sealed in a bubble of water by Downpour, while Shifter circled him, a predatory look on her face as he struggled to hold his breath.

"What's it going to be Max?" Shifter called. "Drowning on a rooftop or eaten by a lion?"

Lord made a placating gesture in surrender as Downpour released him, retaking his usual form. As Lord coughed and sputtered, he looked up at them shakily.

"You're… artificial life forms, grown in a test tube. You were designed to be the ultimate superheroes"

"That's a lie!" Longshadow accused. "I remember my parents, how much they loved me! I was with my mother when she died!"

"Implanted memories" Wind Dragon surmised quietly as Lord nodded.

"But I spent Thanksgiving with my father last week" Longshadow said desperately as Wind Dragon frowned deeper.

"Actors?" he asked as Lord gave a sheepish nod. "How long have we…"

"You're just a little over a year old" Lord relented with a sigh, shocking the teens. "One of the purposes of the CADMUS project was to create a popular team of superheroes who were completely loyal to the government, unlike those loose cannons in the Justice League"

"And the clones?" Downpour demanded.

"Replacements for when you wear out. Once they're complete, the clones will think they're you, they'll be you, and no one will be the wiser" Lord admitted much to their chagrin.

"How could you do this to us?" Juice asked in outrage as Lord suddenly gave a bitter laugh.

"Me? This is so big even my superiors are small fish" he said as the Ultimen stepped closer, and he panicked, backing up. "But I was just…"

"Following orders?" Wind Dragon finished before nodding to Juice as he entrapped Lord in a cage of electricity, ready to kill him before Longshadow raised a hand to stop him.

"No. We want the big fish"

Wind Dragon nodded in agreement before summoning a tornado to lift him and his team away, leaving Max on the rooftop with nothing but his guilt.

* * *

The Ultimen soon arrived back at the lab where they found the clones before breaking down the door, hoping to destroy the tubes. However, they were shocked to find the lab completely empty, not even a speck of dust hinting that there was something there before.

"They're gone!" Wind Dragon cursed in shock.

"And we're dead" Downpour added.

"No! They're here somewhere, they've got to be! Take this place apart!" Wind Dragon said desperately as his team didn't question the faulty logic of their leader. Instead, they resumed smashing through walls before Longshadow tried to stop them.

"Wait! There are other offices in this building! Innocent people could get hurt!" he protested as his team ignored him, moving out to continue their assault.

* * *

Far above the labs in the top floors of the building, employees hard at work were suddenly startled when four angry metahumans burst through the doors, destroying anything in their way. The workers panicked, having no escape before a giant fist opened a hole in the wall, and opening a rescuing hand.

"I'm here to help! Climb on!" Longshadow called, now giant as he started to climb down the building with the people, desperately attempting to get them to safety. A few of the people were starting to slip before they were suddenly caught by a newly arrived Superman.

"Need a hand?" Wonder Woman asked as Batman, Aquaman and Sandman suddenly arrived on the scene with two more heroes that Longshadow had never met before. Longshadow nodded graciously as the League helped him to rescue the remaining people, and putting them safely on the ground.

"Hey Shadow! We got a cure!" Flint called as Longshadow looked at him in shock.

"A cure? You mean you can save us?" he asked.

"Yep, my friend here made it. "It'll fix you right up" Flint nodded, gesturing to Reed as Longshadow shrunk down.

"I apologize if you don't like needles but it's the only way I can deliver it into your body safely" the scientist says before injecting the cure into the teen. A sudden warm feeling flowed through his body as he breathed heavily, eventually standing up straight.

"How do you feel?" Wonder Woman asked as the teen grinned.

"I feel great!" he announced to their relief. "Come on, the other Ultimen are inside, they need this too!" he calls before rushing in with the League and Wolverine while Reed waited outside.

* * *

In the ruined remains of the office, the Ultimen had slowed down in their destruction as Shifter slumped against the wall in despair.

"What's the point of this?" she asked, tearing up before she sobbed. "We'll never find CADMUS or a cure. It's hopeless"

"Then what?" Wind Dragon asked with shout. "We just die and let them replace us? No one knowing that we were here, that we mattered?" he asked as Shifter continued to cry.

"I say we bring this whole place down" Downpour sighed. "Right on top of us" he suggested as Juice nodded.

"Don't give up yet Downpour" Longshadow called as the other Ultimen looked up to see their friend walking in with the League in tow. "We've got friends in high places"

Shifter shook her head as she stood up and folded her arms. "You idiot. Do you really think that they can help us?"

Wonder Woman nodded as she stepped forward. "Whatever's going on, we'll do everything in our power to…"

"Yes, power. That's what it always comes down to, doesn't it?" Wind Dragon interrupted with a main grin on his face. "That's the only way we'll be remembered" he announced before pushing Wonder woman back with his power as he turned to his team mates. "If we're the ones who take down the Justice League, the world will never forget us!" he called as his team mates smirked and took fighting stances.

"Listen to yourself, you're not making sense!" Batman insisted. "You're getting worse by the minute!"

"Translation, they're afraid to face us" Wind Dragon smirked confidently.

"No stop this!" Longshadow interjected as he stood between the Ultimen and the League.

Wind Dragon looked at his in dismay before sighing. "As a man once said, you're either with us or against us"

Longshadow looked at the League for a moment before Juice suddenly flooded his body with large amounts of electricity, shocking the size changing hero into unconsciousness.

Downpour took this opportunity to turn into a torrent of water as he attacked Aquaman, with Juice attacking Batman, being followed closely by Wolverine. Wind Dragon went after Superman while Shifter transformed into a Jaguar before charging Sandman.

"Of course. I get the cat" he sighs before dodging a tackle from her before taking the fight into the next room.

* * *

In the boiler room, Juice searched around the pipes for the dark knight detective. He followed the Leaguer inside, firing bolts of lightning at every sound of movement, following the shadows cast before was eventually led into an empty corner of the room.

"Where did he go?" Juice muttered to himself, before he was suddenly struck from above by Batman. Batman knocked Juice to the floor before picking him up and tossing him into some pipes. The young hero stood up groggily as Wolverine smirked, tossing aside his cigar as he extended his claws.

"My turn bright eyes" the feral mutant grinned before leaping forward and slashing the pipes behind the young hero.

"Ha! You missed!" Juice laughed before the water poured over him, shocking him into unconsciousness.

"Lights out, old chum" Batman said with narrowed eyes as he picked up the hero carefully.

"I gotta say bats, you got style" Wolverine complimented as he sheathed his claws.

"Right back at you" the detective smirked before walking out to Reed.

* * *

Flint watched the shape-shifting girl warily as his hands took on the form of mallets. She smirked victoriously as she transformed back to normal. "Now you're gonna see what I can really do"

"I don't want to hurt you kid. Don't make me do this" Flint said seriously, standing against a wall as she gave a bitter laugh.

"Are you kidding me? You think you stand a chance against me you sick freak?" she taunted as Flint rolled his eyes.

"Really creative" he snarked as Shifter shot him a glare.

"Ugh, I'll show you! I'll show you all!" she yelled before turning back into a Jaguar and pouncing on Flint.

"Yeah yeah, say goodnight kid" Flint smirked before she passed harmlessly through his sand, colliding with the wall roughly. Flint turned to look at her as she stood up, clearly disoriented.

"What do you know, you're tougher than I thought" he laughed before knocking her out and lifting her over his shoulder as she turned back to normal. Once he had a comfortable grip on her, he stepped into the next room where Aquaman was still fighting Downpour.

"How you holding up Aquaman?" Flint asked as his Atlantean comrade shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just getting a feel for the kid's power. He's really nothing I can't handle on my own" he said before Downpour caught sight of Flint holding Shifter's unconscious form. At the sight of his sister, Downpour saw red. "No one does that to my sister! Nobody!" he called before charging as a high-pressure geyser at Flint. Flint watched the water with a brief look of worry as Aquaman stepped in the way, being splashed by the water.

Downpour smirked at the impact before looking and seeing a completely unharmed Aquaman.

"King of the seas, remember?" the Leaguer asked with a raised eyebrow, before Downpour attempted to punch him. The hit didn't faze Aquaman in the slightest and he responded with a chop to the neck, knocking the hero out with one blow.

"Let's get them to Reed. He'll give them the cure outside" Flint said before walking out with Aquaman.

* * *

Once outside, Reed immediately gave the cure to the twins before laying them next to the now awake Juice. The hero looked to Longshadow apologetically, as his friend simply nodded in response. Wonder Woman stood off to the side, watching as Superman battled with Wind Dragon. Battled might not be the right word, as the man of steel simply stood still, unaffected by the powerful wind being sent his way.

"You don't have to do this" Superman reasoned as the young hero shook his head defiantly.

"It's all I know!" he shouted as tears cascaded down his face. "It's what I was created for!"

"You're confused Dragon. The genetic degradation…"

"No more words!" Wind Dragon insisted. "No more!" he cried before summoning wind with enough power to knock Superman back a few feet. Before he could continue his assault, Longshadow stood between the two.

"Look what you're doing! Look!" the Navajo teen called out as Wind Dragon finally looked around at the destruction caused in his wake

"Is this what you want to be remembered for? He was your hero?" Longshadow said sombrely as Wind Dragon fell to his knees, sobbing quietly, "He was my hero… and a hero is all I ever wanted to be"

* * *

The Ultimen were now all gathered together, under the careful watch of the League. Wind Dragon was about to say something before Reed suddenly jabbed a needle into his arm as a warm feeling came over him.

"What was that?" the hero asked in a panic.

"That was a cure synthesized specifically to halt your genetic degradation and return you to peak physical health" the scientist said.

"Wait… you mean you…" Wind Dragon started

"Cured us? Yes, he did" Longshadow confirmed. "I told you they could help"

At that, the Ultimen all expressed looks of relief and gratitude. They weren't going to die after all!

A few minutes later, the four Ultimen responsible for the destructive rampage were being escorted away by police while Longshadow explained to Wonder Woman and Superman everything he knew.

"Project CADMUS? That's all you know?" Superman asked with a frown.

"Everything else is an implanted memory" Longshadow confirmed sadly as Batman stepped forward.

"Flint managed to secure some files on Project CAMDUS. It'll take quite a bit of reading, but we'll get our answers" he said much to the surprise of the others.

"Well, at least now you'll make some new memories" Wonder Woman smiled as Longshadow nodded. However, this was cut short as a few dozen military vehicles rolled in, and heavily armed soldiers stepped out, levelling their guns at the league. The League instantly went on high alert, Reed stopping Logan from popping his claws, as the Ultimen watched in alarm.

"We'll take it from here" An unknown black woman said in a stern voice as she was flanked by Maxwell Lord. "The Ultimen belong to us"

"Belong?" Wonder Woman asked with a dangerous expression.

"A poor choice of words" Max conceded. "We'll see to it that their last days are comfortable" he said before turning to the Ultimen. "We will take care of you, you have my word, for whatever it's worth"

The four looked at each other hesitantly before Wind Dragon nodded. "Alright Max" he said quietly as the soldiers escorted the Ultimen into one of the trucks. More soldiers came to take Longshadow as Wonder Woman stood defiantly in front of them. "No" she said seriously as Waller narrowed her eyes.

"You need to step back" she demanded as Batman approached her.

"Not going to happen. Longshadow's with us" the vigilante said darkly.

"Safeties off" Waller insisted, not even fazed.

Several soldiers raised their weapons at Wonder Woman and Longshadow before Superman, Aquaman, and Sandman and stood in their way, each with their own dangerous glare.

"Mine are bigger than yours" Batman smirked as he leaned closer to Waller. The two locked eyes for a minute before she raised a hand.

"Stand down" she ordered as the soldiers obeyed. Waller, meanwhile gave Batman a triumphant grin.

"Who are you people" Batman demanded as Waller folded her arms.

"That's a national security matter, and if I were you I wouldn't probe the situation too closely…" she said before leaning close and whispering. "… rich boy"

Batman's eyes widened in shock at the revelation. She knew! However, Flint was having none of it and stepped forwards.

"Big talk coming from you. Shadowy government conspiracies, black ops soldiers, test tube heroes? Where I come from we have that in spades, and far more frightening that what you can muster. So if I were you, I would back off Mrs. Waller" he finished, giving the woman her own widened eyes before she regained her composure, seriously considering attacking him there. However, she though better of it before she drove off with the rest of her soldiers.

"This isn't over is it?" Flint asked worriedly as he watched the vehicles retreat.

"I have a feeling that it's only the beginning" Superman frowned.

* * *

Back on the Watchtower, the heroes were teleported back on with Longshadow in tow as he looked around the base in amazement. After giving him a moment to catch his breath, Wonder Woman stepped forward with a nod.

"Welcome to the Justice League Longshadow"

The hero in turn looked like a kid on Christmas as he eagerly shook her hand before moving off to explore and get acquainted with the other new members. At that Flint looked to Reed and Wolverine with a small frown.

"You heading out?" he asked.

"Yes. Susan is making a roast tonight and I promised that I wouldn't miss it… again" Mr. Fantastic admitted sheepishly as Logan snorted.

"Yeah and I have a class to teach tomorrow morning. It's danger room day, and I want to see my brat go through the ringer" he said in reference to his cloned daughter, Laura.

"Alright, but can you do one think before you leave?"

"Of course, what is it?" Reed asked.

* * *

"What's gonna happen to us now?" Shifter asked in worry. "You don't think they'd kill us, do you?"

"I wouldn't put it past them. Not with what we know now" Juice frowned. The Ultimen were currently sitting in a cell in an unknown location. Despite having their degradation cured they were still feeling less than enthused with their situation. At least, they were until a swirling blue vortex appeared in front of them.

"What is that thing?" Wind Dragon asked in surprise as he shielded his face before seeing Reed Richards step in.

"Salutations Ultimen. If you wish to be freed from this prison I recommend coming with me"

"Coming where?" Wind Dragon asked.

"Why to my world. Somewhere CADMUS does not exist"

The Ultimen didn't need to think long before they all followed him inside. On the other side of the vortex, they found themselves in front of a large building where various super powered individuals were running training exercises, or even just talking and hanging out.

"What… is this place?" Downpour asked in surprise before a man in red and gold armour lands in front of them.

"This is Camp Hammond, where the next generation of heroes are taught and mentored" the man answered as the face plate rose. "My name is Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man"

"You want us to go here?" Wind Dragon asked in shock.

"Of course. I've heard good things about you, from Logan and Reed. And Flint" Iron Man nods before turning with a smirk. "Welcome to the Avengers Academy"

* * *

 **And there we have it. The plot has once again reared its ugly head, and we now get a hint of what Waller is capable of. I gotta say, ever since Suicide Squad I can only imagine Viola Davis playing Waller, and that definitely translated here for me when I was writing this.**

 **In any case, be sure to read and review, and get ready. Because next time, it's an alien invasion and CADMUS continues to make plans.**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	12. Dark Heart

**Welcome one and all, to the Sandman Unlimited First Year Anniversary Extravaganza!**

 ***Loud Cheering***

 **I would like to thank you all for making my return to FanFiction such a resounding success. This story is something I love dearly, and in the coming months expect more and more chapters as University ends in April for me. After that, we'll be getting lot's of chapters. The CADMUS arc is about to get a whole lot better with Sandman in tow.**

 **Now, last chapter I asked you to submit your questions, so here it is! the Q+A Special!**

 **Sgt. M00re's Question:** **Great job. Question: will any of flint's villain friends come over and join him? Like electro, rhino, mysterio, venom, etc? Because I can see these guys doing that and imagine electro and superman's villain livewire (I think thats her name) getting together.**

 **Answer: Well with some in that list, friend is a bit of a stretch (After all Venom did nearly kill him), but the short answer is no. The long answer? Well some of these characters will show up, and some will be on friendly terms (Rhino and Shocker specifically), as to them ending up in the DC universe, probably not. Although Livewire and Electro together does sound hilarious.**

 **JAKEkentstein's Question: That was great can't wait for more;) Question any chance will we see the animated movie justice league dark in your story ?**

 **Answer: The movie and plot? No. The characters? Hell to the yes, John Constantine is one of my favourite heroes, so he'll show up at least once, and with cameos on top of that. Swamp thing and Deadman would be awesome too, and Etrigan is already here.**

 **Johnathen's Question: Will Deadpool show up in the future please**

 **Answer: Oh lord, I was expecting this one, but the fact that it took this long to get here is surprising. I don't actively hate Deadpool, in fact I rather enjoy him quite a bit. I just find him a bit overused at times. Not to disrespect him, but he's often shoved into places and not given anything interesting to do. So, if he ends up in this story, it will be for one joke and one joke only... maybe two.**

 **Deadpool: "It better be two! Lousy author, what kind of name is Waffles anyway?"**

 **shawn desai's Question: Is there going to be a Spiderman and galatea pairing sooner, or later in this story?**

 **Answer: Later. It will be before the end of the CADMUS arc, but not until around Flashpoint. That's when Spider-Man will make his return to the DC universe.**

 **Lucian Naruto's Question: That is doubtful that I have, and I even checked it out.** **Is the Sandman immortal?** **Due to his body being made of sand particles instead of biological cells & tissues, he doesn't age, no does he need to eat, rest, or even breathe. He probably wouldn't die from aging, since sand doesn't age. I'd imagine its possible tt kill, him just extremely difficult and you'd need to do something asinine. I'd imagine you would need to somehow capture the collective body somehow life freeze him or use some sort of adhesive foam, then put him in a rocket ship and send him into the sun. I suppose Superman would be a one-stop shop for this. Use Freeze Breath and just chuck him into the sun. ****But back to the subject, what do you think? As I said before, I came to check and saw in some wikis confirmations about Marko's immortality.** **Do you think he knows about it?** **But thinking about it, I remembered something... In one of the episodes of Justice League Unlimited, Supergirl along with Stewart and Green Arrow went to the 31st century to help the Legion of Super-Heroes in a crisis.** **I was thinking, what if Supergirl, Stewart and Green Arrow ended up finding Marko along with the Legion of Super Heroes? They would find out about the immortality of the Sandman, and Marko put this condition to good use.** **Over the centuries Sandman has become a living legend. He has done MANY things and is a mentor and good friend to many of the members of the Legion of Super-Heroes.** **In that episode, Kara decided to stay in the future. So I think before Stewart and Green Arrow went back to the past, Marko could ask them not to reveal this information to Marko's past version. For this could ruin the future.**

 **Answer: Is he immortal? Yes, but in the same way that Colossus is. Basically in his human form he's a normal person. In sand form he is immortal. Honestly I don't think he's aware about it though. As for that episode being a chapter, I genuinely hadn't thought about using it, but is certainly a great idea. My main apprehension comes from I don't like how Supergirl is just randomly shipped with Braniac 5, and then stays in the future. I feel like her arc could have had a better conclusion than that. Otherwise, I'll certainly take that under advisement.**

 **UntoldStoriesTold's Questions: 1) In the episode _The Once and Future Thing_ the Justice League goes to the future, meeting their future counterparts, as well as Warhawk, the son of Green Lantern and Hawkgirl. Will Sandman and Zatanna have a kid that we'll see in the future here? 2) Will you be making other stories in the same universe as Sandman Unlimited?**

 **Answer: Oh but that would a be a spoiler now, wouldn't it? In any case, here's my answer: YES. As for other stories, I do have plans to make an Exiles story, that is at least a one-shot. It will exist in the Sandman Unlimited universe, but it will be of a different sort (As in, most of the members of the team won't be Marvel characters). And there might be a few other Marvel universe stories connected here like a Thunderbolts one, and maybe an X-Men story or two. If there's any interest in these stories I'd be glad to answer questions about these too.**

 **Nicochan11's Question: In Sandman Unlimited, will Sandman be reunited with his former Sinister Six teammates again?**

 **Answer: Like i said with Sgt. M00re, he will meet them again. Especially with what I have planned. Hell, bonus points to anyone who can guess exactly what my conlcusion to the CADMUS arc will be. It's closely tied with this.**

 **Big thanks to everyone who sent me questions!**

 **Now, I do have a bit of a conflict with my story. Namely, I kind of want to give Longshadow a love interest, but I'm not 100% on this. Also, I'm torn as to whether it should be Stargirl or Supergirl. So let me know what you think. Comment in a review what your opinion is.**

 **Also in this chapter I've hidden some references to Red vs Blue as well as to ForrestFire101's "Lego Justice League" video. See if you can find them.**

 **Yet again I'm looking for a dedicated Beta as my last couple have just up and left. Any help here would be appreciated.**

 **As another bonus to you guys, here are some sneak peaks of what's to come for the story:**

 **The Avenger's Academy is under attack!**

 **Flint meeting a Sandman of a different sort!**

 **And finally (This one is for you Jestalnaker94000!), evil beware: the Rider is coming.**

 **With all that said and done, time for the disclaimer.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan based story. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel. The Justice League, General Eiling, Longshadow, and all related characters are all owned by DC Comics and Warner Brothers. Please support the official release.**

 **Now, on to the chapter!**

* * *

"Keep it up Shadow, just a few more reps and you're done" Flint said, spotting for the League's newest recruit as he currently used the bench press. The Navajo teen was already well liked by the other League members, and had been spending a fair bit of time in the gym as part of his training in order to keep his strength up.

Flint was more than happy to help out the kid, especially after everything that transpired since the Ultimen incident. The threat of CADMUS still loomed over them but they for the most part were managing to keep their minds off of it.

Once finished, Longshadow set the bar down before panting heavily as he slowly sat up. "Man this is hard work"

"Yep. But it's necessary in the long run" Flint shrugged.

"Does everyone in the League have to do this?"

"Some more than others" Flint added, thinking of the Kryptonians in particular. "Don't worry about it though, it gets easier"

"How long until that happens?"

"Not long enough" Arrow called from across the gym, setting aside his barbells before walking out.

Flint suddenly received an idea as he watched the archer leave. "Hey I know just how to relax after a long day of work like that"

"How's that?" the teen asked curiously.

"One of the security cams has a tape of Ollie getting the snot kicked out of him courtesy of Black Canary. Multiple times in fact"

"Really?"

"Yep" Flint confirmed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "We use it sometimes as good laughing material. If you want we can find it now"

"That would be great!" Longshadow nodded before the PA suddenly blared to life.

"All Justice League members and associates, report to the Javelin bay for deployment" J'onn said seriously. "We have an omega-level threat. This is not a drill"

"Omega Level?" Longshadow said in slight fear as Flint frowned.

"Two in as many months? Something tells me it won't be as easy as Amazo was" he finished before rushing out to be briefed on the situation.

* * *

"Containment has failed and we're taking heavy losses" a US Army general called out over a radio to the Leaguers who rapidly made their way to the scene. "Requesting emergency support; I repeat, we cannot contain them!"

"Sounds like the commander could use a little reassurance" Superman mused, leading the flight in with Kara at his side.

"Let's hope we can give it to him" Batman said from the cockpit of his plane; the Batwing.

"We'll give it to him alright, and then some" Wonder Woman added, flying a Javelin packed with heroes alongside more Javelins, all of which were heading to the sight of the issue. "Strength in numbers and all that"

One of these Javelins was currently piloted by Captain Atom, with Zatanna, Sandman, and Longshadow all inside, along with Fire, Ice, and Stargirl.

"So Flint, any alien invasions in your world?" Captain Atom called from the pilot's seat.

"Like every other week, some with more success than others"

"How bad do they get?" Stargirl asked, a cocky, yet skeptical smirk on her face.

"Well there was one dubbed the Secret Invasion. Essentially there was this race called Skrulls who could shapeshift. Turns out more than half of the Earth's metahumans had been secretly replaced by them and we were attacked and crippled from within" Flint said, thinking back on it.

"Did you win?" Longshadow asked with interest.

"That depends"

"On what?" the teen pressed.

"On if you count a certifiably insane villain taking over the government as a reward for killing the skrull queen winning" he finished as the teens suddenly paled substantially.

"Stop scaring the kids Flint" Zatanna admonished, slapping his shoulder lightly.

"Not trying to. Besides, this can't be much worse than that" he countered before looking back at Longshadow. "So, how does it feel to be on your first real field mission with everybody. You nervous?"

"Yeah a bit, but we'll be fine. I know it" Longshadow answered with a confident grin.

"That's the spirit!" Flint nodded.

Soon after that, the Javelins landed in the mesa, not far from where the US military had set up a perimeter. The League piled out before seeing a large bulbous orb, black and purple in colour, releasing mechanical spiders which the military was currently trying to force back to no avail.

"Well damn" Flint said in deadpan fashion as the Batwing continued circling around for surveillance.

"It's growing bigger" Batman commented. "And somehow it's devouring everything around it, then converting it into mass"

"To make those spiders?" Superman asked.

"Yes. And once they're done with the debris from the army's attempt to beat them back, they're going to spread out to the three nearby towns" the dark knight confirmed grimly.

"Looks like we got our work cut out for us then" Flint commented as he noticed the wreckage of several choppers and tanks littering the ground. He shuddered to think of what else was a casualty here.

"Diana, I have the communications feed from the general on the ground, and I'm patching you through" J'onn called before linking Wonder Woman's communicator with the general's.

"This is Wonder Woman" the Amazon started. "Go ahead general"

"This is General Eiling, USAF" a gruff voice reported in. "We're in the process of evacuating three towns in the immediate vicinity. We need those… things locked down"

"Then the first task is containment" Wonder Woman decided.

"I've got something that might buy us some time" Batman announced.

"Like what? Some fort of Bat-Spider repellant?" Flint asked snidely before the Batwing flew over the dome and released a large bomb. The Bomb detonated, as a large sheet of ice swiftly encased the dome, halting its growth substantially.

"Batman? What was that?" Diana asked her team mate.

"Thermionic gas, cooled to a few degrees of absolute zero"

"Okay I'll bite. What for?" Flint asked.

"I needed to freeze the Gotham River once. Long story"

"Learn something new every day" Flash joked as he arrived with the rest of the League. The spiders, upon seeing the main vessel frozen turned to look at it for a second. Then they turned back in unison and continued their approach towards the defensive line of the Justice League that stood in their way from attacking the towns.

"Move in!" Superman called, swooping down and letting off a blast of heat vision as the rest of the heroes joined in the charge.

"Take 'em down Flint. Edolpxe!" Zatanna cast, detonating several spiders while several more heroes fired their own blasts of energy and magic, alongside bullets, missiles, and anything else the League had to offer.

"Kara! The cliffs!" Superman called.

"On it!" She smirked before leading Steel and Red Tornado to deal with the spiders who attempted to make a move around the defense of the league.

"First real mission kid, now go all out!" Flint smirked before forming massive mallets and knocking a swath of spiders away, while Longshadow joined Atom Smasher in growing to a hundred feet tall to start smashing the spiders with enormous footsteps.

Green Arrow led Vigilante up on a Javelin to give them more of an advantage with their range while Black Canary helped keep more of the spiders at a distance with her canary cry. After an agonizingly long stalemate, Superman returned to blast more with his heat vision while Green Lantern did the same with his ring, substantially decreasing the number of spiders.

Wonder Woman took this opportunity to kick another sider aside before waving to the others. "Good Job. Now surround them an move in!"

"Wait a minute. Something's up, I can feel the sand being moved away" Flint frowned as he looked about the mesa.

"Hold on a second. I'll check on it" Superman frowned before using his x-ray vision to look under the dome. To his horror he saw dozens of tunnels under the earth, being dug by the spiders and leading towards…

"They're right under us!" the man of steel called before hundreds of spiders suddenly spilled out of the ground. Despite their initial surprise, the heroes were able to keep their composure as the retaliated swiftly.

Sandman plunged his hands in the desert before forcibly closing the tunnels and crushing more spiders in the process to halt their approach. However, Green Arrow and Vigilante were forced off of their Javelin as the spiders overtook the craft before dragging it under.

"Oh that ain't good" Flint grimaced.

"Less talk, more work! Nmuloc fo erif!" Zatanna called before using a burst of flames to singe a large quantity of spiders, while Longshadow increased his height more to crush more spiders with a single fist. Despite the massive amount of damage that the league was putting out, the spiders kept coming in even greater numbers.

"Wonder Woman, can you hear me?" General Eiling called. "I'm in the town of Goldhanger, two klicks from you. We're not going to get everyone out in time!"

"You won't have to general" J'onn replied from back inside the Watchtower. "The Watchtower is now in stationary orbit over the sight. I am clearing the binary-fusion generator for firing"

"The what?" General Eiling questioned.

"It converts our station's entire energy output into a single shot. It's a gun with the punch of a small nuclear weapon General" the Martian answered.

"You can't be serious!" the General said in shock. Not only did the League have a weapon of mass destruction on hand, but they were actually going to detonate this weapon over American soil?!

"We're very serious" the Martian replied plainly. "Now pull your men back. We can't hit the aliens directly, because it could scatter them for miles. So, we're going to burn a trench around them"

Back on the ground, Eiling begrudgingly gave the order, calling back his soldiers who joined the league in their fight in order to keep them safe. After a minute, the heroes joined them in their retreat just as a bright blue beam of light fell from the sky mere moments later before striking the ground and carving the trench. Any spider caught in the beam was instantly vaporized. The heroes all turned away, or covered their eyes in worry of being blinded, until the light finally faded.

In its wake, three was now a fifty foot wide trench that fell for half a mile down into the ground. Despite being briefed on its power, the heroes were all left speechless as they saw the full capability of the weapon.

* * *

Due to the large output of power from the generator, all other systems of the Watchtower were offline. Communications, lights, and the teleporter were all out. The only systems left were the emergency lights and the life-support systems. J'onn leaned back in his chair, his arms folded pensively was he watched the time count down from 59 minutes until the power came back online.

"An hour until we find out if it worked"

* * *

"I said it when I was briefed on this, and I'll say it again. What the actual hell were you guys thinking?" Flint said in shock as he gazed down the trench. There was something more than a little discomforting about this weapon. Of course it was a great trump card and it had its uses, but at the same time what if someone used it for the wrong reasons?

There were dozens of villains who would have such malicious glee if they got a hold of this thing. Even then, there was no precedent for this level of destruction. Nothing he had seen came close. Only thing he could think of was maybe Galactus… or when Molecule Man detonated a small moon.

Or Nitro….

"That should buy us some time until they get the townspeople out" Superman called, snapping Flint out of his thoughts. "Now I want to learn about these things". With his x-ray vision he looked inside the remains of one of the spiders in order to analyse its internal systems and potentially find a weakness. Inside each one, there was a red and purple core, pulsating slowly and suspended by what looked like inky black veins.

He then took the chance to look inside the main vessel before frowning at what finding the same sort of core inside the ship. "I think the main spacecraft is self-replicating. There's some sort of near microscopic machine at the centre of each one. A kind of… dark heart, building around itself"

Batman thought over the information before looking up. "We need Ray Palmer out here. Flash, you'll have to get him from his lab and bring him out here as fast as you can"

"Not a problem!" the speedster called before taking off to find the shrinking doctor.

* * *

Far off in Boston, Dr. Palmer was busy hunched over his desk as he worked on a new device. This device would hopefully give him a bit more protection whenever he shrunk. He couldn't count how many times he was less than an inch tall before coming across a cockroach, or worse a spider.

Suddenly, he was disturbed from his work when Flash rushed in.

"Flash, what are you doing in Boston?" he asked curiously, sitting up before taking off his goggles.

"We got an omega-level situation in Nevada, and we need your help ASAP Doc"

Ray nodded in grim determination before pulling his mask on. "Fill me in on everything"

* * *

"Flash will be back soon. With Palmer in tow, expect him in five minutes" Batman said from the Batwing as he fired more missiles into the bridges the spiders had built. In order to climb over the trench the spiders had formed makeshift bridges with their bodies in order to scurry across. The League destroyed them quickly but they were rebuilt just as fast. This was currently bride set number seven.

The battle, however, was beginning to wear on the heroes. Several had become too tired to continue. Longshadow already had to pull Stargirl out of harm's way when her fatigue almost knocked her out midflight. With their own numbers slowly dwindling, the League was running out of options.

"If I could get close I might have a good shot at it" Flint grunted, knocking another spider aside. In his sand form he felt no fatigue, but the constant fighting was becoming a chore to him.

"We need to wait for Doctor Palmer to run his analysis first" Batman insisted before firing the last of his missiles. "That was the last of my useful armaments. I can't do anymore"

No sooner had he said that, when several large robots, resembling tigers, burst forth out of the ice surrounding the dome as they attacked the batwing. They tore at its wings to send it to the ground as Batman opened up the cockpit to fight them off hand to hand. He punched one off the wing, before detonating two more with an explosive batarang, however he soon found it more useful to retreat as he ejected out, crashing the plane into a cliff to destroy the last of the robots. However, one managed to blast his parachute, leaving the detective to freefall to the ground.

"Batman to all points" he called into his communicator "I could use some air-support since I can't fly. At all" he spoke as the ground rapidly approached. "Now would be good"

"I gotcha bats!" Flint shouted before rocketing up in a stream of sand and carefully catching Batman as he helped him to the ground. "Great, first spiders, now tigers"

"Look more like pumas to me!" Arrow shrugged as he fired an arrow into one of the tigers.

"At least they're not warthogs" a familiar voice called as Flash appeared with the Atom in tow.

"Dr. Palmer, what's your analysis?" Wonder Woman asked as Atom looked at one of the spiders carefully.

"Superman is correct in that they are self-replicating. These machines use any materials they can gather in order to build copies of themselves. They'll only stop once they've exhausted all useful matter"

"All matter?" Batman questioned.

"All. Coast to coast and even across the ocean floor. Stone, metal, plastic, rubber, plant life…"

"People" Superman added grimly.

"Unfortunately yes. To make matters worse, destroying the spiders or damaging the main vessel would only be the beginning. We need to shut down the core itself"

"Can you do that doctor?" Superman asked desperately.

"Yes, but I'll need a way inside, as well as someone to keep me safe as I do it"

"I can handle that one doc" Flint said, stepping forwards.

"How do you intend to get me inside?"

"I punch it"

"You… punch it?" he repeated incredulously.

"No time to explain, just shrink down and get in here" Flint pressed before holding out a small container as the Atom nodded and shrunk down inside.

"What's the container for?" Flash asked.

"To keep him safe while I do this" Sandman sad as he melted into the floor of the desert.

"Flint?" Zatanna questioned looking at the desert.

"This again?" Wonder Woman said with a smirk.

"Oh hell yes! I missed it the first time, but not now" Flash said excitedly.

"No time to stand around, keep fighting!" Batman said seriously before a titanic sandy fist emerged from the other side of the trench, gather rock and metal as it slammed into the side of the vessel.

"Holy..." Longshadow exclaimed as the fist suddenly formed a body, with Flint frowning at the lack of effect.

"One more punch then!" he said in a booming voice before swinging again, this time cracking the hull to allow Atom inside before a stream of sand poured in after him.

"They're inside" Superman said triumphantly as the heroes continued to attack with renewed vigour.

* * *

Inside the large vessel, Sandman reformed his body while leaving a trail of sand in with him in case he needed a quick escape.

"Good luck doc. Let me know what you find" he nodded as Atom shrunk down before crawling through the inky veins as he travelled through to the core of the ship. Within minutes he was there as he stared at the large dark heart.

"I'm at the core" he called out, beginning his analysis of the machinery inside.

"What's your status?" Batman asked as Atom suddenly found a video record of the core's history.

"I've found some sort of history log of this ship. Apparently it was a weapon for a warring alien world" he said, watching the footage play out as he scoured for any hints of what to do. "This world was at war with another, and this was their trump card. They launched at their enemy's world and… it consumed the entire planet" he breathed in horror.

"The whole damn planet?" Flint said in shock.

"Yes, afterwards it replicated and made another core, sending on to other worlds where it continued the process. Consuming and replicating across galaxies"

"How long has this war been going on?" Wonder Woman asked.

"It ended over fifty-thousand years ago. This ship is a remnant of it. One that not even the original owners are aware of"

"And where are the original owners now?" Batman questioned, using his batarangs to destroy two spiders.

"The vessel consumed them as well"

"That's one hell of a design flaw" Flint frowned. "Enough of the bad stuff, can you destroy this thing doc?"

"Not with what I have. The core needs to be destroyed. Whether it's crushed or… Whoa!" the Atom suddenly cried as he dodged a tendril that reached out to attack him.

"Doc, you okay?!" Flint called out.

"I'm fine, just got some unfriendly stuff in here" Palmer grunted before smirking. "Time to try this on for size!" he laughed before using his new wrist mounted laser to cut through the attacking tendrils. "Everyone I have a solution" he said afterwards.

"We're all ears" Superman answered.

"If Flint can take enough sand in here, he could crush the core and destroy the vessel from the inside out."

"You sure that's a good idea doc?" Flint asked.

"Oh yes, as long as you can get me to safety, there should be no problem with it" Atom assured him.

"Alright. Flash, we need a pick-up for Doctor Palmer" Sandman called.

"Not a problem!" the speedster answered before rushing over. Flint had helped Palmer out of the core before handing him off outside to the Flash who took the Atom a safe distance away.

"Alright, time to end this" Flint breathed before absorbing into the sand again before taking wave after wave of it inside, quickly filling the ship. Then, he shot of with another stream towards the core, prying and forcing the various machines and components apart, as he destroyed dozens of spiders, tigers, and tendrils on his way in. Within minutes he was at the core.

"Time to crush this piece of junk" he smirked before wrapping the core in sand and compressing it. There was a loud creak of the metal being stressed under the pressure as more and more sand was poured inside in order to crush the dangerous machine. The tendrils inside writhed in response while outside, some of the robots were starting to spark and twitch.

"It's working!" Wonder Woman announced triumphantly as the League pressed forwards on the rapidly deteriorating force before them.

Finally, after one last good squeeze, the heart writhed one final time before starting to spasm and leak boiling liquid with slowly oozed out of the cracks in the vessel. After a minute, the heart imploded as the ship shut down.

* * *

Outside, the battle had gotten fiercer, with even larger spiders having joined in. By now, the league was losing numbers rapidly as Flash worked to move the injured away safely. Despite the initial sparks indicating their failure, the robots pressed onward.

Finally, the vessel started oozing purple liquid out of all orifices before its walls came tumbling down on itself. This in turn, shut down the robots who all powered down, falling on their sides at the lack of power.

After a enduring a tumultuous battle, the League had won.

* * *

Flint exited the ooze before taking in clean sand and rejoining the League as they started their cleanup. Flash looked at him and grinned as he clapped him on the back.

"Nice job in there Flint, should have played you some Bon Jovi while you went to work"

"Bon Jovi? Why him?" Flint asked with a sigh.

"Because the ship was shot through the heart, and you're to blame" the speedster grinned while the Leaguers assembled groaned at the lameness of his pun.

While some of the more injured leaguers had to be moved to the now operational Watchtower for treatment, the rest had joined in the cleanup effort as Zatanna held a bruised arm while walking over to Flint.

"You okay there Z?" he asked, hugging her gently as he looked over her arm.

"I've had worse" she shrugged before looking back at it. "What was it like in there?"

"Gooey. Really, really gooey" he laughed before the military moved in to take away some of the robots.

"Don't suppose you need help destroying that. Wouldn't want that technology falling into the wrong hands" Superman called as Eiling shook his head.

"Could learn a lot from this thing" the aging General stated. "It almost beat the Justice League after all"

"Why would you need something to do that General?" Wonder Woman asked, folding her arms while Batman narrowed his eyes into a suspicious glare.

"Oh, I don't know" the General started with a condescending sneer. "Maybe because it turns out that the Justice League has had a secret space based weapon of mass-destruction all along. And we're gonna be talking about that soon believe me. Ma'am" he finished before giving a salute and climbing onto a chopper as he left the League to their cleanup effort.

"Amazing" Arrow scoffed. "Show him a weapon that destroys everything it sees, and he wants to play with it. What's to stop history from repeating itself right here on earth?" he questioned.

"We are" Flint shrugged. "We beat it once after all"

"Thank you for the assistance inside the vessel Sandman" Atom said, walking over. "I'll admit, I wasn't quite sure what to make of you all this time, but now I can clearly see your intentions" he said, extending a hand.

"Thanks Doc. You were the real hero today though" he smiled as he shook his hand.

After the Atom had walked off, Flash approached Flint again. "So, this the first time you've ever seen a world consuming weapon?"

"It's the first time I've ever heard of a weapon consuming worlds, but back in my universe, they're every other celestial body"

"Ha that's- wait what?"

"Yeah" Flint smirked. "Would you like to hear about the fire bird first or the immortal space god?"

* * *

After a long day spent collecting and destroying the pieces of the vessel (They had frozen every leftover piece before freezing it in a ball and letting Superman pitch it into the sun), Flint finally returned home before reclining on his couch with Zatanna, Green Arrow, and Black Canary for a double date movie night.

"What a day" Zatanna sighed as she curled into Flint. "What did Longshadow think of his first big mission with the league?"

"He said it was the single-most strenuous thing he's ever had to do" Flint answered.

"I believe it" Oliver laughed before taking a swig of his beer. "Bet you he regrets joining the League now. He should have joined the Titan Brigade with Speedy" he laughed, referring to the team his sidekick Speedy was on.

"You mean the Teen Titans?" Dinah Lance, the secret of identity of Black Canary, asked.

"Same difference"

"I don't know, I think he'll like it here. I certainly do" Flint nods.

"Of course he will, as long as we don't have world ending crisis every other day" Oliver said, rolling his eyes. "What are we watching anyway?"

"The Blob. Alien mass eats everything in sight, I thought it was appropriate"

* * *

"Any word from Luthor yet?" Salamandra asked in boredom as she flipped through the channels on TV.

"Not yet, but there appears to be some promising headway" Wizard answered with a frown. "His body guard delivered the message when I gave her my offer"

"That's something" his ex-wife shrugged. "Any word on what Sandman's up to in the League?"

"Nothing concrete yet, but that doesn't matter" Wizard dismissed, returning to his plans. "All that matters now are my plans on how to destroy him"

* * *

 **And there you have it folks. Sorry if this chapter seems a little shorter than usual, especially for one with an actual plot related to the League itself. That's just how it ended up. At least I brought Atom in for an appearance since he was left out of the Amazo chapter altogether.**

 **Any questions or reviews are welcome, so be sure to leave them if you want.**

 **Once again, thank you all for sticking with this story for so long. I've had one fantastic year with it so far, so here's to another one. And if you like the Q+A specials, let me know and I'll make another one in the future.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading! And be prepared... for next time we get a triumphant return, and a tragic exit. It's finally time to wake the dead.**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	13. Wake the Dead

**Good news everyone! It's reading week, which means I can get another couple of chapters out to you!**

 **I'm so happy to see the positive reaction to my story thus far, and I'm so excited for the next few chapters, especially with what's to come and how Flint fits into it.**

 **But, first things first, to answer something that multiple people have asked me... Yes I own Justice League Dark. Yes I have seen it, yes I love it. Now leave the point alone. I already love it enough I don't need more reason to.**

 **And now, for some other questions.**

 **Daniel's the man 98: Will Keemia come over to the DC universe? Maybe.**

 **Shaneman17: Punisher? That sounds like fun. But only if I can get the Justice League to the Marvel Universe (*wink-wink*)**

 **Sgt. M00re: Sandman and Zatanna getting married? Well I don't want to give away the ending. Also, Sandman fighting Clayface? Is there really such a great demand for this? And then the Sinister Six being sent to the Justice League universe and being mistaken for heroes... It would probably end up way to similar to this, but I do have plans for one certain Spider-Man villain in particular. See if you can guess who.**

 **Nicochan11: Apparently there is a great demand for Sandman to fight Clayface. Consider it done! Eventually...**

 **Big thanks to my new beta for editing this chapter for me, it's a massive load off of by shoulders.**

 **Disclaimer: Sandman is owned by Marvel and Disney, and the Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC Comics. I own nothing but the concept here.**

 **And away we go!**

* * *

In his last moments, Solomon Grundy was at peace. He had reunited with his soul, and surrounded by his new friends, he passed on peacefully, giving his life for the greater good. At this moment he had received the peace he long sought, and thus entered the afterlife gratefully and with a sense of calm.

A calm that was shattered.

His eyes opened with a sudden rage he didn't know before. All the peace gone from his mind, all inclination of the quiet and respectful end he had achieved. All that was left was rage. Rage and violence. Long gone was his soul and his rational mind, all that he had was this dark sense of violence that clouded his thoughts.

One fist burst from the earth, then another, tearing his large pale body from the grave as the teens standing in front of his grave stepped back in fear.

"What did you do?" One shouted, looking at his friend fearfully.

"I don't know! It was in the movie, I didn't think it would work!" the boy said desperately, their third companion having long since abandoned them at the sight of the large, lumbering zombie that stood before them.

Against his better judgement, the first boy took a nervous step forward. "Solomon… Grundy?" he asked quietly.

The large zombie turned to face him with a jerking motion, startling the boy. For a long minute, there was nothing but a contemplative silence, as though the hulking leviathan before them was contemplating the words he just heard.

The boys let out a small sigh of relief, before the short lived calm was replaced with a snarl from Grundy as he raised his hands above his head.

Their screams could be heard for miles before the shambling corpse made his way to their hometown.

His rampage had begun.

* * *

Aquaman's hard stare was levelled clearly at his opponent. Among all of his battles, both physical and intellectual, he had never before had any opposition that infuriated him quite like this. The opponent in question?

Shayera Hol aka Hawkgirl, former member of the Justice League.

"It's your move Hawkgirl" he said simply, staring at the chess board in front of them. Hawkgirl stared back for a moment before regarding the board with apathy. Amazo watched the game with interest as he studied their methods. After a minute, she moved one of her bishops only to have Aquaman's queen take it.

"Check in five moves" the Atlantean King said with a confident smirk.

"We'll see" she retorted dryly.

"Diana told me you regularly beat Batman. Difficult to believe from the current pitiful level of your game" he taunted. He wasn't intentionally trying to insult her, only trying to goad her into a reaction. A shred of her former rage and warrior's honour. The long months she had spent in the Tower of Fate had proven to show that any inkling of her former personality or spirit had long since died in the wake of the failed Thanagarian invasion.

A few moves later, and Aquaman took the last of her knights. "I should have known better than to expect a proper challenge from a woman" he taunted, once again trying to illicit a reaction from her. In a former life, Shayera would have knocked him out cold with a single blow for any sort of comment along those lines.

However, Shayera simply shrugged, saying nothing.

"Such scintillating repartee" Aquaman snarked before pinching the bridge of his nose. "I get better conversation from the android"

At this, Amazo cocked his head in a questioning fashion.

 _ **Since you are aware of my presence, is this another attempt to goad a reaction?**_

Aquaman ignored the android before moving another piece in response to Shayera's position. "Check"

Shayera looked at the board, studying it carefully. Despite her predicament, she had an easy exit and counter ready to be used. Instead, she knocked her king down in surrender.

"I win again? Huzzah…" the King of Atlantis drawled before resting his face on his hand.

"It's just a game" Shayera said quietly.

Giving her a hard stare, and angered at how easily she had lost, Aquaman threw the board across the room before slamming his hands down on the table. "You disgust me!" he roared.

Instead of flinching at his yell or even retaliating, she instead sighed. "Join the club" she frowned before standing up and leaving the room.

"I could have told that wouldn't work" a new voice called, as Aquaman noticed Dr. Fate stepping out from the shadows across the room.

"She was once one of the fiercest warriors I'd ever met. What's she doing here?" Aquaman asked, watching the door Shayera left through with a mixture of confusion, worry, and frustration.

"Trying to find her way" the sorcerer answered. "Leaving the Justice League was difficult for her, I provided her sanctuary. A place to meditate on her life and future. We must allow her the time she needs to…" he said before his hand trailed up to touch his helmet. "Excuse me" he said suddenly before disappearing with his usual purple ankh.

Before the King of Atlantis could process what just happened, the chess board he tossed and its scattered pieces lifted off of the ground before being placed back on the table. Amazo sat in the chair Shayera once occupied before staring at the Atlantean with renewed interest.

 _ **New Game?**_

* * *

Dr. Fate reappeared in front of the empty grave of a man who he helped to bury, and that he helped to care for in their last moments. Not only that, but the overwhelming magical energy he felt there was alarming. Very alarming.

"J'onn? It's Dr. Fate" he called, looking at the headstone with a worried glance. "We may have a problem"

* * *

Inside the Tower of Fate there sat a garden. It was set in a small pocket dimension, and was full of a quiet serene peace. Inside, Shayera approached a ring of rose bushes, where she usually went when she was upset and needed some time to think. She spent a great deal of time there lately. She wasn't expecting to find Inza there however. Dr. Fate's wife looked up at her with a kind smile.

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon. The garden needed work" she said as she carefully pruned one of the bushes.

As she stood up to leave Shayera stopped her, shaking her head. "Don't go Inza. This is your place, I'm just a visitor here" the Thanagarian tried to explain.

"My husband and I have offered you our hospitality. We respect your privacy. Treat this area as you would your own home" Inza replied.

As she walked off with one of her bushes Shayera looked up to her again. "Aquaman thinks I've been here too long…"

Inza gives a small chuckle before turning her head. "Flowers bloom when they're ready Shayera. Not before"

Shayera looked down at that. "I'm no flower, I don't know what I am. I'm not Lieutenant Shayera Hol of the Thanagarian Empire. Not anymore; I've been stripped of my rank and exiled from my homeworld. I'm not Hawkgirl, that was always a sham" she said, her voice close to breaking. "Most people on Earth will never trust me again and I can't blame them. When I do my job, people get hurt. People I care about…"

Inza gave her a knowing look before frowning. "And what happens when you don't do your job?" With that, she finally turned to leave Shayera alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Flint carefully set the various ingredients on the counter in his kitchen as he set out one of the cookbooks he would be using. He figured that instead of spending money on another dinner date (Not that he couldn't afford it, he just would prefer something different) he decided instead that he would cook some dinner for his next date with Zatanna.

Now, while an expert on the careful arts of microwaving pizza and instant macaroni, he was complete;y naïve on the other elements of cooking. So naturally, he figured he should start with something simple. Lasagna was what he came up with.

'It's just pasta cheese and sauce. Easy enough' he thought to himself with a confident smirk as he looked into the book with interest.

"Preheat the oven…" he muttered before following the instructions and tying an apron on. "Alright, let's get to work here"

Before he could continue however, he was interrupted by a sudden phone call. He set the box of dry pasta down before answering it. "Hello?"

"Flint? It's Z"

"Oh hey, what's up?"

"I was just wondering what you were planning for our next date. Nothing too expensive I hope" She asked, relaxing on her couch as she sipped her tea.

"Nah, nothing like that. I was actually gonna cook you some dinner myself"

"You were gonna cook for me? That's so sweet. I didn't know you could cook"

"What?" he laughed nervously. "Of course I can cook. I hope you like lasagna"

"Oh I love lasagna" She grinned.

"Great. Anyways, gotta go, the oven's already started and I want to make sure it cooks for long enough" he explained.

"Right, right" the magician nodded. "Well I'll be there for seven if that's still good with you"

"Actually could you make it eight? This recipe needs the extra time" he said, trying to buy some more time in case he had need of it.

"Gives me extra time to get ready, so it's no worry. See you tonight Flint"

"See you then Z, bye" he finished before hanging up quickly and groaning. "Damn it! Now I really gotta do this right" he frowned before setting to work again. After several tries he finally had the pasta and the sauce ready before he set it all in the pan and put it in the oven.

"Alright, this needs two hours, so that's plenty of time" he sighed in relief before getting a call on his communicator.

"Flint, we have a situation" J'onn called as he picked it up.

"Yeah go ahead J'onn, I'm all ears" he answered, taking the apron off.

"Solomon Grundy has returned and is attacking Baton Rouge. I'm sending you in with Green Lantern and Vixen to handle the situation" the Martian explained.

"You sure about that? John can probably handle this one on his own" Flint asked in confusion. He knew about the Zombie and his incredible strength and durability. However, he also knew how most of the founding leaguers could easily handle him on their own with little trouble. Three leaguers seemed like overkill.

"It is necessary. Grundy has already killed three people and many more are in danger" J'onn pressed seriously as Flint nodded at the severity of the situation.

"Alright I understand. Send me in now J'onn" he nodded before being teleported away.

He just wished he could finish in time to take the lasagna out.

* * *

Flint was teleported instantly to a street in the middle of Baton Rouge. He barely looked up before seeing a police car fly towards him, sailing quickly through the air. "Oh you've got to be kidding" he mutters, ready for impact before the car was caught by John. Grabbing it with his ring before setting it aside carefully.

Flint nodded his appreciation before walking over to where John and Vixen were waiting for him. "Hey Sandman. Here to third wheel date night?" Vixen asked with a smirk as Green Lantern rolled his eyes subtly. Vixen was an African American woman in an orange jumpsuit and claws, whose animal totem allowed her to channel the abilities of any animal she could think of. She was also hopelessly attracted to John, who brushed her advances off. Apparently he still held out for a certain red-haired Thanagarian.

"Well I can't be intruding much worse than the zombie can" Flint shrugged as John took to the air.

"We need to move fast. Whatever's got Grundy so angry, it's proving seriously destructive" the Lantern interjected before leading the other two off. "Dr. Fate called it in to J'onn, Solomon Grundy's back"

"The zombie guy? He's a heavy hitter" Vixen questioned as she followed closely.

"Yeah he's tough" Green Lantern affirmed. "But we can take 'im. Funny thing though, is that he's supposed to be dead"

"More dead than usual you mean?" Flint asked. Before Green Lantern could respond though, a loud, guttural roar suddenly shook the trio as they looked ahead, past the crowds of people running in fear. The streets were littered with crushed cars and various debris, and in the centre of it all, a large bus was hefted into the air by a pale, ten foot tall behemoth. Solomon Grundy, buried in the rags he wore, and virtually the same as the day he died.

"Aw man, don't do it" John groaned before Grundy roared again and threw the bus through the air towards the heroes.

"Yeah. That figures" Flint grimaced as Vixen and Green Lantern dove out of the way, while the bus landed on their team mate.

Grundy meanwhile, picked up yet another car to toss before Vixen channeled the strength of an elephant before charging forwards and knocking Grundy through a truck and then the wall of a building. Grundy grabbed her wrist in response before tossing her out of the building and into a wooden fence.

Flint's sand poured out from the windows of the bus and reformed his body before he approached his fallen comrade. Her arm stuck out at an awkward angle and her body was littered with bruises as she groaned in pain.

"God that's gotta hurt" he muttered before she tapped her totem and harnessed a lizard's regenerative ability, her arm popping back into place with a sickening crack.

"You have no idea" she grimaced before using the speed of a cheetah to get back in the fray as Sandman also joined in, where John was currently burying the zombie under a pile of cars. The two used their own abilities to add to the pile of debris, hoping to slow Grundy down before the zombie somehow floated into the air, blowing the dome of debris outwards with a burst of magical energy as a car door slammed into Green Lantern and knocked him unconscious.

Vixen immediately rushed to his aid as Flint saw the pale behemoth slowly approaching, his every footfall shaking the ground. "Alright big guy. It's you and me now" he stated, forming two large hammer as the zombie made to attack. Before he could connect however, a sudden red and blue blur slammed into Grundy, sending him flying back down the block.

Superman then looked back at his team mates seriously. "Get Lantern somewhere safe" he ordered as Flint stood with him.

"Man are we glad to see you" he said with a small smile as Grundy could be heard roaring from down the street.

"Somehow I don't think he shares the same sentiment" the man of steel frowned as their undead adversary lumbered back towards them. "Come on Grundy. We've been through this before, you don't have a chance against me. Maybe we can talk this out"

"I think he speaks the language of violence" Sandman replied as the zombie slammed his hands into the ground, creating a shockwave that forced the heroes back. Superman nodded before clenching his fist and rocketing forwards, intending to finish this quickly. However, he wasn't expecting the zombie to just reach out and catch his fist, stopping the man of steel cold before squeezing, slowly cracking the bones in Superman's hand.

"Oh crap" Flint called out. Not many beings could catch one of Superman's punches. To date Flint could only think of a few, and Grundy wasn't one of them. He was on a whole new level as he tossed the Superman away down the street before taking a swing at Flint.

Flint prepared his sand for the zombie's fist to pass through harmlessly, but was instead met with it at full impact as he was knocking into a nearby bus; the same Grundy tossed earlier.

"Can't you go just let his fist pass through you?" a now returning Vixen asked in shock.

"I tried. Whatever's powering him now, it's unbelievable" Flint muttered as he sat up. 'I forgot what pain felt like. It's not pretty' he thought with a frown.

Grundy gave a low growl before charging them again, both heroes looking thoroughly afraid.

"Oh this ain't good" Sandman said, before standing up.

* * *

 _ **Checkmate. You are improving. This time it took me sixteen moves to beat you.**_

Aquaman glared at the android after having lost his seventh game in a row to him.

 _ **That's nearly double the moves it took last time.**_

He sighed before shaking his head at the android. "Set up the board"

Before Amazo could do as asked a purple ankh flared into the room, as Dr. Fate returned to the tower. Despite his face being covered by the helmet a wave of disturbance surrounded him.

"Solomon Grundy's grave is empty" He said suddenly, much to the enragement of Aquaman.

"Tell me where to find those responsible, then dig more graves" the Atlantean King seethed. Despite Grundy's previous life as a criminal, he had sacrificed himself to prevent an extradimensional invasion. If nothing else, he deserved an undisturbed rest.

"We are dealing with something far more sinister than mere human avarice" Fate warned, his tone signifying the great danger that loomed. "Grundy's grave was forced open from the inside, and the site reeks of chaos magic"

At that, Amazo gave him an intrigued glance.

 _ **He left under his own power?**_

"Far more power than he ever evidenced before" Fate continued before conjuring an orb that showed the battle. "Behold"

The two peered in curiously, seeing Grundy effortlessly knock Vixen aside into a parked car while a now conscious Green Lantern returned fire. Superman swung a car at the zombie, only to be knocked away with a powerful punch while the zombie grasped Flint's arm tight when the sand-based hero attempted an attack from behind.

"They need our help" Aquaman concluded, ready to enter into the fray and assist his comrades.

"So does Grundy" Shayera added, walking into the room, much to the others' surprise. "Let's try and get there before the League kills him"

Amazo cocked an eyebrow before looking back at the orb where Grundy repeatedly punched Flint in the chest. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" the hero said as one last punch knocked him through a glass window.

 _ **That scenario seems… unlikely at the moment.**_

"In any case, are you certain you're up to this Shayera?" Fate asked with a stern yet caring voice.

"Doesn't matter' the Thanagarian said dryly. "Bad guy or not, he sacrificed his life to save ours. We owe him the benefit of the doubt"

"Very well" Fate nodded after a moment before opening a white hole that appeared in front of the heroes as he reached inside. "I've learned the hard way that the energy-dampening properties of this device can disrupt fundamental forces, so I've kept it hidden in a pocket dimension, away from the magic that flows freely through my home. But if you are ready to take up the fight again" he started before pulling out her mace and holding it to the hero expectantly.

Shayera stared at it hesitantly for a moment, before suddenly taking the mace, _her_ mace, and hefting it easily in one hand.

"I'm ready"

* * *

"God damn he's a force of nature" Flint groaned as he stepped back out into the street, Vixen sliding back on her heels before catching her balance again.

"Got anything this strong in your world?" she asked, panting from fatigue.

"Well, we have quite a few that come close to this power…" he started, eliciting a shocked expression from the heroine. "But the one that comes to mind the most is the Hulk. He's a hero, and a founding member of the Avengers team"

"A hero? How strong is he?"

"Well he gets stronger the angrier he gets, so it's impossible to say really" he shrugged, dodging a bench that was tossed his way.

Vixen dodged as well before turning back. "Anything specific you can remember?"

"Well, I can remember one thing firsthand. He was once so angry, a single footstep almost sank the entire eastern seaboard"

"The eastern seaboard?!"

"Yep" he nodded. "Quebec all the way to Florida"

"That's insane!"

"That's the Hulk. Then again that's just what I've witnessed, I've heard that he punched an asteroid the size of the moon to dust, and once he held up an entire mountain range"

"Incredible" she breathed in disbelief.

"That's what they call him" Sandman nodded as they followed the Zombie in his relentless rampage, approaching a bridge that extended over a large stretch of the bay. Green Lantern attempted to restrain him, only to be met with a clap that sent a devastating shockwave, forcing him back and shattering windows for blocks. Superman then sandwiched him between two cars until Grundy knocked him into one of the bridge's supports, shaking and crumbling the foundation of the structure.

Then, before the whole bridge could fall into the ocean under the strain, an octopus larger than anything the heroes had ever seen appeared, holding up the bridge with ease so the civilians could escape.

"Aquaman?" Flint asked as the hero in question climbed onto the bridge with a confident smirk.

"Outrageous" he nodded with a laugh before a car started to lean off the edge, a mother and her daughter still trapped inside. The car soon had its roof torn off by Hawkgirl, who reached inside and pulled the two to safety.

"Shayera, you too?" Flint asked with a hopeful smile as she nodded.

"Figured you could use the help" she replied before landing on the ground and walking over. "It's good to see you again Flint" she greeted as the heroes regrouped.

"Likewise" he nodded before Superman landed in front of them again/

"Good to see you back Shayera" the man of steel greeted. "Now where were we again?"

Green Lantern snorted indignantly before cracking his neck stiffly. "We were about to kick Grundy's undead a-"

"Perhaps we can be of assistance" Dr. Fate interrupted before appearing in front of the other heroes with Amazo in tow.

"Hey Amazo, how's life treating you?" Flint greeted with a nod. In the time since the android's return, Flint had made a point of visiting him on occasion. Amazo greatly appreciated this as the only other contact he had was with Dr. Fate, Hawkgirl, and occasionally Aquaman. Not that the android would admit it, but he considered Sandman among one of his first, and among his few, friends.

 _ **Life is treating me rather well, thank you. I wish to aid you against this threat.**_

Superman shook his head before looking up again. "Alright, let's throw our big guns at him; me, Fate, and the android" he said before leaning closer to the sorcerer. "You let his out of the tower now?"

"I was curious to see if you would try to dissuade him" he replied with an almost amused shrug until Shayera shook her head.

"Hold up" she interrupted. "Before golden boy teleports him into the sun I want to tray talking to him" she announced before spreading her wings and flying off to find the undead fiend.

"Shayera wait!" Green Lantern called before she disappeared around the corner, finding Grundy pushing the wall of one of the buildings. Her confusion as to why he was doing this was very evident, but she shoo it off before landing behind him.

"Grundy!" she called, the lumbering Zombie turning to look at her with a low glare as she cleared her throat.

"It's me. Remember, Bird-Nose?" she asked, using his nickname that he gave to her. Instead of the reaction she expected, Grundy simply picked her up before slamming her into the wall he was just pushing, raising two hands to crush her until a large sandy fist forced him back.

"I would recommend moving right about now!" Flint shouted as Shayera slowly stood up, Superman and Aquaman returning to punch him further down. Fate then joined them, firing magical blasts in an attempt to subdue the zombie.

"What's happened to him?" Shayera asked in worry and confusion.

"I'm sorry" Dr. Fate announced ruefully. "I sense nothing of the Grundy we know within that shell; he is nothing but rage!"

 _ **Then it is time I brought this to an end.**_

Amazo stood forward, raising his hand an summoning a golden aura as Shayera stepped in front of him.

"No! Don't hurt him!" she cried out before the android moved her to other side of the street with his telekinesis before bombarding Grundy with an almost unimaginable power. The other heroes had since moved back to avoid the powerful bursts of energy, as they watched with interest.

 _ **In my travels through space, I've attained mastery of forces all but incomprehensible to humans I… Wait.**_

The heroes followed the android's attention, before looking on in horror. Instead of hurting him, the energy was somehow increasing Grundy's power as he grew in size before giving a deep, guttural roar.

 _ **Something is wrong. The creature is somehow feeding on my energies! He adds my power to his own!**_

Amazo suddenly fell back from a telepathic shock as he struggled to stand again.

 _ **My presence here puts you all at risk. I will retreat several light-years' distance until I can determine how to counter this effect.**_

The android then suddenly disappeared in a flash of golden light, leaving only a small wisp of smoke in his wake as the heroes stared blankly where the android once stood. Then with a look of grim determination, they resumed their battle, with Superman punching Grundy across the face and Aquaman slashing his thighs with the hook on his right hand. Green Lantern then summoned a massive beam of energy to rocket Flint forwards, who struck the zombie with a large mallet, sending him crashing through several buildings until he stood back up where the League first found him.

"Tell us something Doc" Green Lantern panted as Flint shook his hand slightly at the slight pain from the impact.

"Grundy was revived with chaos magic" Fate explained as the approached the square where the fight began. "A cumulative with no known upper limit. My magic is as useless as Amazo's technology"

'Chaos magic? Where's Wanda when you need her?' Flint thought ruefully.

"Then I say we take him out the old-fashioned way!" Vixen cried out before rushing to a statue and attacking its supports with her claws, quickly chipping away at the base. The others nodded in understanding, carefully leading Grundy over until Flint shoved the statue over where it crushed the rampaging zombie. An uneasy sense of calm descended on the heroes.

"No way it's that easy" Superman frowned.

"I'm with you Supes. Something's up" Flint agreed before Grundy suddenly burst from the rubble, grasping Vixen's ankle.

"Put her down!" Hawkgirl yelled before shooting towards the zombie, her mace crackling with energy as she gave an avian cry and struck him right in the ribs. A sickening crack of bones could be heard as Grundy, for the first time that night, gave a roar of genuine pain, releasing Vixen who quickly retreated.

Grundy clutched his bruised ribs, drool pouring from his mouth before he have another roar and dove at the Thanagarian warrior. Shayera gave a snarl before sidestepping his attack and swinging her mace, connecting it with his back. Grundy gave another cry of pain before Shayera landed strike after strike, further injuring him. Each shot made the zombie weaker and weaker as he fell onto his knees, breathing heavily as Shayera flew up high before diving back down quickly, with one last good shot to Grundy's neck, knocking him through the street and into the sewer below.

The others heroes approached slowly, looking at the large hole she had created while Lantern shone a light for any sign of the zombie.

"I can't see him" he announced with a frown.

"Neither can I" Superman added. "There must be lead in those old sewer pipes"

"Well he's not exactly subtle. We'll find him easy enough" Flint said, looking back down the hole.

"And then Pretty-Polly here can bash him with her magic mace" Vixen finished.

"Why does it hurt him?" Shayera asked as she examined the weapon curiously, small sparks crawling along the surface of the mace as she hefted it again.

"It's made of Nth-Metal" Fate explained, stepping forward to look into the sewer. "Your people's technology was built specifically to repel magical creatures. It disrupts the magic that animates him. The creature only knows rage and seeks only oblivion. Your mace may be the one thing that can grant him peace"

"What are you saying?" Lantern asked in sudden confusion.

"Your favourite movie is Old Yeller, you know exactly what he's saying" Shayera replies in her usual snide tone before sighing regretfully and looking away in shame. "Is this my destiny? To be a destroyer? To betray yet another friend?"

"It's not that simple. It never was" Fate countered.

"Hey!" Vixen suddenly called, drawing the attention of the others as she folded her arms. "How about we discuss it for another couple of hours? That way, he's sure to get away"

After a brief silence Aquaman placed a hand on Shayera's shoulder. "Only you have the power to put that creature out of its misery. To stop is before it hurts anyone else" he said grimly.

Shayera gave another uncertain look to her mace, gazing at it with dread and a certain amount of fearfulness that was rarely seen expressed by her. Taking notice, Green Lantern stepped forward.

"You don't have to do it Shayera. I'll do it for you. Give me the mace" he offered.

Shayera stared at him for a moment, until her knuckles tightened around the hilt of her mace as she shook her head. "Forget it John. He was my friend, it's my responsibility" she announced, closing her eyes. "I'll do it"

"Did you want someone to go down there with you? Just in caser?" Flint asked as Shayera gave him a thankful smile before she shook her head.

"No I'll be fine" she said quietly, filled with determination before she approached the hole and jumped in, beginning the search for Grundy anew.

* * *

Shayera walked through the sewer for the better part of an hour, looking around every so often as she followed the trail of destruction that Grundy had left in his wake, nothing but the glow of her mace to guide her, and her own thoughts to keep her company.

Though they proved to be of little comfort to her.

She couldn't kid herself. Being unable to help Grundy, to give him back the rest and life he deserved without hurting him. She was ashamed. It was made worse by the fact that she wanted nothing more than to walk away, and not betray another person who at one point trusted her. But there was no other option. In desperation and for the greater good, she continued her trek.

At a certain point, she could make out the sound of loud, shuddering breaths. She was getting close. A few more steps and she rounded the corner to find Grundy slumped against the wall of the tunnel. His breaths were deep and laboured, his wounds either heavily bruised or bleeding slowly. He turned to face her, his lips curled into a small snarl as he let out a low growl.

"Shh, it's okay" she assured him quietly. "It's just me… bird-nose. I know what you want, what you need" she whispered, her voice cracking as she rolled her mace slowly.

After a brief moment, Grundy appeared to understand her as he gave a small nod, relaxing as he blinked slowly and looked down at the ground, anticipating what came next.

"Close your eyes" she whispered as Grundy listened, doing as she said. "It'll be over soon" she finished, before raising her mace one last time, her body wracking with sobs at what she was about to do.

Then the mace was brought down.

* * *

Back on the surface, the various heroes were tending to themselves as news reporters and civilians started to gather around the barrier the police had made, waiting to see what happened next. Flint rubbed his bruised knuckles lightly as he watched the worried Lantern pace back and forth nervously.

"She's been down there too long" Flint finally sighed as john nodded.

"He's right. We should go in after her" he agreed, approaching the hole. However, before he could enter, Shayera suddenly flew back out. Her eyes were swollen and her expression haunted as she kept her head low.

"It's over" she announced quietly, shaking her head as the others looked down with respect to the fallen. After a moment, Shayera began to walk away as various reporters swarmed her.

"Hawkgirl! Do you think today's acts can possible make up for your complicity in the Thanagarian invasion of Earth?" one asked before being pushed out of the way.

"Do you have a comment on your dismissal from the Justice League" Another pestered her until Green Lantern interrupted.

"Hawkgirl was never dismissed from the Justice League" he announced defiantly as he and the others heroes walked over to her side. "She can come back whenever she likes" he continued, her shock clearly evident as he gave a kind smile. "I recused myself because… well, you know. Anyway, Superman broke the tie" the Lantern revealed.

Shayera looked to the Kryptonian as he nodded cheerfully. "I believe in second chances. I believe in redemption. But mostly, I believe in my friends" he finished, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Before he could continue, they were interrupted by sudden shouts. 'Traitor!" one civilian called in anger before being joined by others who hurtled other insults and curses to Hawkgirl, clearly not being as forgiving as her Kryptonian teammate was.

"Hey back off!" Green Lantern yelled as Sandman nodded.

"Yeah, lay off her will you? She doesn't need to hear this!" he agreed.

"Yes I do" Shayera shrugged as the two looked to her in confusion. "But it's okay. I guess I deserve some of that"

Before she could walk off again, a small hand grasped hers. It was the girl who she saved from the falling car.

"Thank you Miss Angel" the girl said with a shy smile, which Shayera returned warmly.

"You know something? You deserve that too" Sandman grinned before checking the time.

"Oh crap, J'onn teleport me home!" he said before the Martian did as he asked, leaving his team mates confused.

"Where did he go in such a hurry?" John asked curiously.

Flint arrived home just in time for the timer on the oven to go off as he sighed in relief before taking out the lasagna. "Oh thank god. Not bad for a first time cook" he laughed before going upstairs to get ready for Zatanna's arrival.

* * *

An hour later, both were sipping the last of their wine before Flint took their plates over to the sink. "Flint that lasagna was great. You must be an expert at cooking it"

"Actually, this was my first time cooking" je admitted with a nervous chuckle.

"Really?" she asked in surprise before laughing. "Well coming from someone who can barely cook instant noodles, it was a feast"

"Well thank you, just don't expect it all the time" he laughed before she nodded.

"That's fair. Next time, let's just get pizza"

"Agreed"

* * *

Dr. Fate returned to the Tower with a suitably tired Aquaman who sat back on one of the chairs in front of the chessboard before a golden light flashed and Amazo appeared in front of them.

 _ **I believe I have come up with a suitable solution to counter Grundy's magic.**_

"Don't worry about it. Shayera took care of it. The day is saved" Aquaman sighed with a small laughed as the android seemed to pout.

 _ **Oh… I see…**_

"But if you want, we could always have game number ten" he offered before gesturing at the chessboard.

The android seemed to perk up at that, before he sat across from the Atlantean King eagerly.

* * *

 **And that concludes another one of the saddest Justice League episodes ever. Seriously, as if seeing Grundy die once wasn't bad enough, now we get this as well? That's even worse. (Still nowhere near the saddest death, that award goes to poor Ace)**

 **But, while Flint's relationship with Zatanna is going smoothly thus far, what will happen after he is sent to the far past... then the far future? Next time, the epic two-parter; The Once and Future Thing! Now with an added surprise.**

 **As always, be sure to read and review, ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	14. The Once and Future Thing, Part 1

**Another chapter so soon? What am I sick or something? Nope! It's just reading week! Besides, with the current stream of creative energy I got flowing I figured I might as well finish this next chapter for you all.**

 **First, some questions, and boy are these a great bunch.**

 **kival737101: Now I already have a pairing planned for Spider-Man (A certain Kryptonian clone), but I like the idea of pairing Vixen with someone. However, I seem to remember her flirting with a certain cowboy in a future episode.**

 **JAKEkenstein: No, Atlee is not their future daughter. But kudos for the reference, that was awesome.**

 **Nicochan11: When will he reunite? Well it all has to do with a certain Marvel villain scheming in the background. If anyone guesses the full plan I will be impressed. I've got one hell of a climax planned here.**

 **Lucian Naruto: Flint using the entirety of the Sahara desert... That is so tempting. I think you just helped me rewrite the climax of the CADMUS arc. Also, props for doing the math involved to determine exactly how much sand that is. That is a whole new level of dedication, and I'm flattered you did that just for my own little fanfic.**

 **Special thanks to my new beta for helping with this chapter, the help is greatly appreciated.**

 **Disclaimer: Sandman and all Marvel characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. The Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC Comics.**

 **Now onto what is by far the most requested fight in this fic: Sandman vs Clayface is a go!**

* * *

With Shayera's return to the Justice League, there were various mixed emotions among the other members. Some were very happy and readily welcomed Shayera back with open arms. Flash in particular was ecstatic to have her back. Others however, were little more than apprehensive. Her betrayal still hung over their heads strong and their lack of trust in her was clearly evident. Flint was among the former camp, just happy to see her back. Besides, if anyone should believe in redemption, it would be him.

However, he was in a minority, and the majority of people were very vocal about how they felt. As such, he needed some air to get away from all of the negative energy on the Watchtower.

Luckily for him, Miami was busy enough that he had plenty to do. For example, bank robberies were still common and he was left fairly busy. However, he would have preferred if certain criminals stuck to their own cities.

'Damn it, please don't be who I think it is' he thought with a grimace as he entered into one of the banks following a lead from the police. Apparently, there was reports of a shapeshifting mass of goop breaking into various vaults, and Flint had a good idea of who it was.

"Aw crap. The Justice League is here?" A gruff voice called as Flint looked across the main room at who appeared to be a living pile of mud. Basil Karlo aka Clayface. He was a frequent opponent of the Batman, however he mostly stuck to Gotham. Apparently this was one of those days where he decided to branch out.

"Nah it's just me. Now let's keep this easy" Flint smirked before forming some mallets out of his hands. "You drop the cash and maybe, just maybe, I'll let you run back home to Gotham"

Clayface smirked in return as he absorbed the bags of money into his body to hide them. "You call those hammers? These are hammers!" he called before forming his own larger mallets.

"Crocodile Dundee you are not. Man they weren't kidding. You are a movie buff" the hero deadpanned.

"Comes with the tragic backstory" the villain laughed.

"You know you seem like the guy I would like to get a beer with. Y'know, if you weren't a criminal and all"

"Yeah yeah, less talk and more smash!" the villain roared before charging at Flint. However, Flint was ready as he aimed his swing low, catching the villain's leg. His sandy hammer passed through harmlessly as the Gotham native smirked triumphantly. "Nice try hero" he cackled before aiming his own swing.

This too however, passed harmlessly through his opponent as Flint gave his own smirk. "We appear to be in a deadlock sir"

"Yes… we do" Clayface muttered as both stared at each other for a moment. "Shall we call it a draw?"

Flint looked at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. "We shan't" he replied before the two went about fighting each other again. For several more minutes they each exchanged blows, one harmlessly passing through the other and so on until Clayface finally took the opportunity to escape. He picked up a nearby desk before tossing it at Flint, forcing the hero to dodge as he ran outside.

"Great, now where'd he go?" the hero groaned before stepping outside after him. However, all he found was a police officer who pointed off down the street.

"He went that way Sandman!" the officer called before a few coins fell out from his chest.

"Uh huh. I believe you" the hero grinned before folding his arms across his chest.

"R-really?"

"Yes. Very convincing" e nodded before suddenly smashing a nearby fire hydrant, causing the water to spray all over the now revealed Clayface as the villain melted away.

"No I'm melting! Melting! What a world!" the villain groaned before oozing down a sewer to escape, leaving the money behind. "Aw crap" he muttered again before quickly leaving.

"Go back to Gotham!" Flint called before groaning in annoyance. "Watchtower I'm ready for transport. I need some lunch" he radioed before his Martian team mate teleported him back to the tower.

* * *

"I'm serious Bats, please try to keep your villains to your own city. I already have enough of a headache when Wally's villains come to Miami" Flint frowned as he tucked into his bagel.

The caped crusader levelled a bat-glare to his team mate. "I'll look into it" he said gruffly. The one person not adding to this conversation was Green Lantern who was still staring off into the distance, ignoring the food in front of him.

"John, you okay?" Flint asked as his team mate was shaken out of his stupor before sighing.

"No not really"

"I thought with Shayera back you would be happier" Flint mused, Batman narrowing his eyes again at the mention of the once traitorous Leaguer.

"I thought so too but…" he trailed off before seeing Wonder Woman shoot her own glare at the Thanagarian as she walked into the cafeteria. "Diana's carrying a grudge" the Lantern sighed. In Amazonian culture, betrayal was among their most heinous crimes, and clearly Diana held true to that tradition.

"She'll get over it" Batman said gruffly.

Flint nodded before finishing the last of his bagel. "Eventually. Just give her time, she'll come around. But what about you Lantern? You holding anything against her?"

"What with Shayera?" he asked with a small chuckle. "It's been a long time since we were together. We've decided to give each other our space for a while"

Flint cocked a skeptical eyebrow before he and Batman exchanged a glance.

Lantern noticed this before rolling his eyes. "I'm very happy" he asserted as Batman nodded.

"Uh-huh" the dark knight answered, clearly not believing what he said for a second.

"Anyway, how about we talk about Flint's love life instead?" John smirked as Flint shrugged.

"Sure. Z and I are doing great, and I'm gonna ask her to go steady soon. Satisfied?" he answered with a smirk as the Lantern groaned in defeat, before suddenly looking at Batman.

"What's going on between you and Diana?"

At this, both Lantern and Sandman smirked as they awaited his answer. Along with most members of the League, they enjoyed speculating exactly what Batman's feelings for Diana were. As was the most popular theory, Batman did genuinely have affection for her, his hard exterior was just a façade to hide his true feelings for the Amazon.

"There's nothing going on between us" he answered plainly.

"Uh-huh" John smirked, his turn to play the skeptic.

"That's now what Diana said" Flint ginned as Batman shot him a quick glare.

"I don't have time to pursue a relationship" he asserted seriously. "My work is too important. Diana's a remarkable woman, she's a trusted friend, she's…" he trailed off, noting the smirks on the faces of both John and Flint. "… standing right behind me, isn't she?"

"Don't let that stop you" the Amazon said with a grin as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Keep digging"

Before the caped crusader could say anything else, an alarm suddenly blared, startling all four heroes. "Intruder alert! Dormitory deck! Intruder alert! Dormitory deck!"

All four immediately dropped what they were doing as they rushed off to the dormitories, heading to Batman's room. Inside they found a man in a blue bodysuit, with silver goggles and belt trying to steal one of Batman's spare utility belts.

"Drop the belt!" Flint called, forming a spiked mace as the intruder looked at them in fear.

"Y-you weren't supposed to see me!" he spoke in a terrified voice before pressing a button on his belt. A swirling white hole conjured behind him which he used to escape through. The four heroes quickly followed behind him inside the hole, only to be met with a sudden swirling vortex. Lantern conjured a bubble around them with his ring for protection as they were suddenly hurled down the tunnel, a bright light at the end forcing them to cover their eyes.

* * *

Far away in another universe, in a building known as the Sanctum Sanctorum, a man was suddenly broken out of his meditative state to clutch the amulet around his neck.

"The Eye of Agamatto has been disturbed… someone is tampering with the time stream" he muttered. With that warning, Stephen Strange rose to his feet before going to see what exactly was happening.

"I wonder if anyone else sensitive to time has been alerted…" he mused to himself before looking into the Orb he kept on his desk.

* * *

Across the country in a large mansion in Westchester, New York, a raven-haired girl with white bangs wearing a blue and white dress looked up from the books she was reading with a cocked eyebrow. Her name was Tempus. She was a young mutant with the ability to travel through time at will.

Sensing the sudden disturbance, she closed her eyes to find the source. Once located she scoffed before rolling her eyes.

"Not my problem"

* * *

The four heroes were suddenly, and unceremoniously, dumped from the other side of the tunnel, clearly not on the Watchtower any more. In fact, they weren't exactly sure where they were. Looking around as they stood, they found sand, mesas, and tumbleweeds, but nothing that looked even remotely familiar to them.

"Everyone okay?" Lantern asked, looking to the others as they nodded.

"Define okay and I'll get back to you" Flint groaned, holding his head in disorientation at the sudden feeling of displacement.

"Where are we?" Wonder Woman asked curiously.

Before any answer could be given, the heroes were greeted with the sound of guns being cocked, and horses snorting. They turned to find four men on horseback, each aiming a pistol at the heroes, and with less than friendly expressions.

"Where? I think the real question is when" Batman corrected as the men dismounted and approached the leaguers, their guns still drawn.

"I have to confess" One of the men, likely the leader Flint surmised, started as he stepped forwards. "Yer about the most colourfully-attired folk I've ever bushwhacked. You circus folk?" he asked with interest.

"Not exactly" Wonder Woman answered, watching him closely.

The gunman shrugged in response. "I don't care what ya are, so long as ya pay the toll"

"Toll?" Flint asked incredulously.

"Welcome to Elkhorn, Oklahoma folks" the man chuckled, tipping his hat. "This here's Tobias Manning's territory" he suddenly held out his hand, expecting the toll.

"You want tribute? Money?" Wonder Woman asked in surprise.

"Don't suppose you'd take monopoly money" Flint asked with a small laugh.

"Well, I ain't particular…" the man frowned, cupping his chin before looking to her hip. "That fancy gold chain'll do just fine. Unless, there's something else you wanna give me"

"Classy" Flint groaned, stressing each syllable with distaste.

Wonder Woman gave a condescending sneer before grabbing the man's hand, and tossing him over her shoulder with ease, sending him flying. One of his cohorts raised his gun only to be met with a sudden mallet to his gut courtesy of Sandman, knocking the wind out of him as he dropped the gun. The others fired two shots, only for Wonder Woman to deflect them with her bracelets.

"Those are the biggest, slowest bullets I've ever seen" she commented dryly, almost bored.

"You're letting them go?" Batman asked in surprise as the two attempted to make a run for it.

"Oh, no way" she laughed before throwing her lasso and catching both of the escapes before pulling them back and knocking them out. Once she was finished tying them up, Batman and Green Lantern brought their horses over.

"I was afraid of this" Batman muttered before pulling a newspaper out from under one of the saddles and showing it to the others. "The Elkhorn Gazette; it's either an amazing forgery or it's less than a month old"

"So?" Wonder Woman questioned.

"Look at the date" Batman continued before pointing it out. "June, eighteen seventy-nine"

"Have I mentioned how much I hate time travel?" Lantern groaned as Sandman shook his head.

"Don't suppose you have a bat-time machine on that belt do you?" he asked as the dark knight detective shot him a condescending look before rolling his eyes.

"Well…" Wonder Woman sighed. "Then if we don't find our sneak-thief, we're stuck here"

"Let's head for the nearest town" Lantern suggested. "See if we can find him there"

"We can't go anywhere dressed like this" Batman pointed out, before gesturing to their various costumes. Despite Flint's sweater and corduroy pants looking normal in comparison to his team mates' costumes, he still stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the time period they were in.

"No… we can't" Wonder Woman smirked before looking at the men they knocked out.

* * *

After a brief moment of time to change their outfits, the Leaguers were now wearing the clothes of the men who tried to shake them down. Diana was wearing blue jeans with a white shirt and hat, a brown jacket a boots to finish it off. Batman meanwhile, ever the brooding loner, opted for a black trench coat and hat, while the rest of his outfit was varying shades of grey.

John meanwhile, simply conjured himself a grey ensemble with blue jeans using his ring, while Flint used some extra sand from the desert to conjure himself a brown hat and poncho with diamond patterns. Satisfied with their outfits, they were about to head out before Diana started pulling at her boots.

'These shoes are killing me" she complained as John shot her an incredulous look.

"You fight crime wearing high heels" he pointed out as Diana flashed him a light glare, hands on her hips.

"High heels that fit!"

"I had that same argument with Z once. Bottom line, don't ever question the shoes" Flint added before John rolled his eyes and started handing out the pistols.

"Everybody should probably take one of these. We probably won't be bothered if people see we're armed" he reasoned.

"Been a while since I held one of these" Flint muttered as he took one of the colts before holstering it quickly.

Bruce however, refused the guns outright, opting just to wear the holsters instead. "Your empty holsters aren't going to scare anyone. You sure you don't want one?" John pressed.

"Positive" Bruce nodded, pointing to his hidden utility belt as the heroes mounted their horses. "Let's ride!"

With that, the other heroes nodded before following behind Bruce as they rose towards town. It didn't take them long, but once they arrived they were met with a wholly new problem; now that they were in town, they had no idea where to look for their thief. After a brief moment they decided to enter the local saloon to see if they might be able to overhear any information about his possible location. They dismounted and entered before slowly making their way to a table in the corner. They garnered a few passing glances, but nothing worthy of any serious attention as they sat, watching a card game that was nearby.

"My pappy always said…" a player with a grey hat and a flower in his vest commented as he leaned back in his chair. "Faint of heart never filled a flush"

"It ain't your pappy's money" one of his opponents growled before sighing. "I fold"

"That leaves you and me then" the last player said. "What're you holding Mister Lash?"

Lash gave a small smirk before tossing more to the pot. "It'll cost you another five-hundred to find out"

The other man smirked before following suit, and adding to the pile and laying his cards down. "Call; four kings and an ace"

Lash looked at the cards before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Well now that's a might perplexing" he started before laying his own cards down. "Seeing as how I've got four aces and a king" he finished before reaching over to pull the winnings over before the other man stood up.

"Well, I've got the gun" he seethed, before pulling out a strange multi-barreled weapon and aiming it at Lash.

Lash looked at the weapon before raising his arms in surrender as a pistol suddenly found its way into his waiting hands. "Lotta that goin' around it seems" he smirked before both men aimed their respective guns at each other. "Seems like a waste of a good-sized pot. How 'bout we split is and both walk away?"

The man smirked before flicking a switch as the barrels of his gun suddenly extended and surround lash on all sides, startling the smaller man. "How 'bout I take it all?"

Lash looked around at the barrels before nodding, keeping his cool head. "Sounds fair the way you explain it" he conceded before setting his gun down.

"That technology's from the future!" Diana hissed, starting to stand before Flint held out his arm to stop her, Batman shaking his head.

"Wait. We don't know how things work here yet" he reasoned as Diana reluctantly sat back down, before returning her gaze to the showdown.

Two men suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Lash's arms as their leader holstered his gun. "Hang 'im at dawn"

"Don't I get a trial?" Lash asked.

"Sure" the man smirked before leaning close. "You're guilty. My town, my rules"

"Wait a minute!" Lash cried out, trying to protest as he was dragged away. "Can't we talk about this? How 'bout another hand? Double or nothing!" he called before he was dragged out of the saloon to be locked up.

"I think we know how things work here now" John muttered before turning back to the others.

"We have to help that man!" Diana said seriously.

"That's not what we're here for. Someone's tampering with history. The stakes are much bigger than the life of one card shark" Batman countered.

"Bats did you see that gun? That is some tampered history. That guy dying, will be tampered history" Flint pressed as Diana nodded.

"Then it's settled. We'll break him out after sundown" she finished before standing up.

Bruce said nothing in protest as the others stood to leave. However, Flint gave him a knowing smirk.

"What?" the detective questioned.

"Oh nothing. She's just got you whipped lover boy" he grinned before following the others out.

* * *

Later at night in the town jail, Lash stood in his cell trying to force the bars of his window open, but having little success.

"That's not going to work. I tried already" a voice called to him.

Lash turned to see the occupant of the cell next to him; a thin man with a grey beard. "Those bars are cheap pig iron. But they're plenty strong enough to hold, at least until morning when they come to hang you" the man continued as Lash groaned in annoyance.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to plan my escape here!"

"How's it coming so far?" the other man asked.

"I'm working on it!" Lash countered until the cell block guard stepped over and struck the bars with his baton.

"Quiet down in there" the guard barked as Lash rolled his eyes.

"That's just what I was telling him!" Lash asserted, none of the three noticing the stream of sand that poured through the door until it formed into a man.

"Yeah I'd buy that" Flint smirked, calling the attention of all the before he struck the guard with a mallet, causing his to hit the bars and become knocked out.

"How'd you do that?" Lash questioned as Flint shrugged, his hand turning back to normal.

"Would you believe it was voodoo magic?"

Lash smirked before giving a short laugh. "I've seen stranger"

The other heroes walked in, with John making a key from his ring. "I'll get the door" he offered before Diana simply pulled the cell door off of its hinges. "Or you could do that…"

Diana gave Lash back his holster and gun while Bruce gave him a pointed look. "I'd get out of town if I were you"  
Lash shook his head in response. "I'd like to, but my pappy always said 'a man who sticks his head in the sand makes a pretty good target'; I've got business to conclude before I leave" he shrugged before twirling his gun and holstering it. Afterwards, he extended his hand to the heroes. "Bartholomew Aloysius Lash. Friends call me Bat. Bat Lash"

Diana shook his hands with a nod while John introduced everyone. "I'm John. These are my friends Diana, Flint and…" he paused, looking at the famously secretive detective.

"Bruce" the brooding hero finished.

"We're lawmen. Looking to bring a criminal to justice" John continued.

"Don't suppose you might have seen him? He's got some crazy belt, and he probably armed the guy who put you in there" Flint offered.

"Not exactly" another voice said as the heroes looked at Lash's cellmate; turns out, he was the eponymous time traveller.

"You're…" John started.

"David Clinton" the man introduced. "Inventor of the chrono-suit, at your service"

"You tried to steal Batman's utility belt" Diana stated plainly.

"And you chased me" he countered. "But time tunnels are somewhat counter-intuitive. Even though you were only seconds behind me, I arrived here nearly six months before you did"

"Where's your time travel device?" Bruce asked expectantly.

"Now there's a story" David started before hanging his head in embarrassment. "As soon as I got here, I was robbed"

"Let me guess, Tobias Manning?" Flint surmised.

"Yes, him. He took my suit and used it to take over this town" He said, starting to pace in his cell impatiently. "He keeps taking trips to the future and coming back with stolen technology. He keeps me here to teach him how to use the stuff he can't figure out for himself"

"Which I'd suspect is most of it, what with him being so mule-stupid and all" Lash said with a smirk.

"It's been horrible in here!" David suddenly cried, throwing himself against the bars. "Humiliating! I just want to go home. I'll gladly accept my punishment if you help me get back"

"How did Tobias take over a whole town with a time machine?" John asked.

"With future tech of course" David shrugged.

"Like his surveillance cameras" Bruce said, suddenly gesturing to the cameras that were pointed at the League and the would-be escapees. "We need to go. Now"

"You're with us" Diana said as she ripped the door of David's cell off as well.

"Now that's a healthy gal!" Lash grinned before making his way out with the others, only for them to be met with sudden gunfire.

Lantern conjured a shield to protect them from the bullets as he surveyed the position. "I've got their positions, I'm gonna take them down" John said as Diana nodded.

"Don't hurt anyone" she warned. "We could accidentally change history"

"I think that worry had gone out the window by this point: Flint grimaced as the guard behind them slowly woke up. Bruce heard his grunts and turned to face him as the man reached for his gun.

"Go ahead" Bruce threatened, reaching for his utility belt. "Give me an excuse"

The guard raised an eyebrow at Bruce's lack of a gun before drawing his quickly. However, Bruce was faster as he ripped the gun from the man's hand and knocked him out again.

Outside, the gunfire was starting to die down as John looked out quizzically. "Something's happening out there" he said.

"Somethin's happenin' all right" Lash announced with a triumphant grin. "The cavalry's arrived!" he called as the gunfire ended and the group made their way outside to see their saviours. The trio who just arrived was a strange one to say the least.

First was a taller man who appeared to be some sort of Native American chief, wearing an outfit made entirely of rawhide. Next was a man in all black with a red bask and a whip on his belt. Finally, the third man wore a grey shirt with a wide brimmed hat. However, the side of his face was horribly scarred, and his eye was very clearly distorted.

"Who are you people?" John asked warily.

"Sheriff Ohiyesa Smith" the Native-American said.

"El Diablo, ever at the service of justice" the masked man announced with a clear Spanish accent.

"Jonah Hex" the disfigured man greeted before folding his arms. "Don't have a lot of time for jawin'. In these parts, there's an abundance of bad men who need settin' straight" he spoke before loading two shells into his shotgun. Hex then looked at the heroes suspiciously. "If you all are workin' for Tobias there's gonna be some difficulty"

"Easy Jonah" Lash said, stepping forwards with his hands in a placating gesture. "They're with me. They helped me get out of a spot while I was here incognito, tryin' to find out more about Tobias"

"What have you learned?" Smith asked with interest.

"Well among other moral failings, the man cheats at poker" Lash shrugged as Hex gave a barking laugh.

"Heh, I coulda told you that" he smirked before spitting off to the side.

"Alright, for those of us not acquainted, would you mind filling us in on the whole story?" Flint asked as Smith nodded.

"I've lived in Elkhorn since the war. And I've been sheriff most of that time. This here's a mining town, booming too. Folks sometimes get a might rowdy on payday, but still, it's a good place to live. There's never been any mischief I couldn't handle. That is, until about six months ago. Tobias Manning's always been trouble and I've run him out of town before. Well, he came back and this time he had, I don't know, magic powers"

"There's no such thing as magic my friend. It was some sort of trickery" Diablo countered as Flint snorted.

'I should introduce them to Z sometime' he thought before Smith continued, growing more frustrated with his own story.

"Well he tricked me near to death! Then he beat me good and ran me out of town like some stray dog. He took over the town, and runs it like his own personal kingdom. He treats the townspeople like slaves, that's unacceptable to me"

"The sheriff went looking for men to help take Tobias down" Diablo continued. "And he found us"

"And what's yer stake in this?" Hex asked.

"We're lawmen too" John said.

"From back east?"

"Sure" Bruce lied with a nod.

"We came here to bring this man to justice" Diana said, jerking a thumb to a certifiably embarrassed David. "Indirectly he's the source of your trouble too"

"Tobias stole a dangerous machine from David here, and we need to get it back" Flint nodded. "Maybe we could work together. After all, we want the same thing"

"I ain't about to turn down help" Smith nodded.

"What's the plan?" John asked.

"Plan?" Hex snorted indignantly. "We put him in the ground"

The natives to the timeline mounted their horses before the Leaguers did the same, David on Diana's horse so that she could keep an eye on him, before all nine of them took off. After some time, Hex gave Flint a knowing look.

"You lot, yer time travellers ain't you?" he asked as Flint looked at him in surprise.

"What? What makes you say that?"

"Experience" he shrugged. "I've had an interesting life, seen interesting things"

"We're getting close" Smith suddenly announced. "I wanna warn you, there's some downright unusual activity going on hereabouts. Don't let it throw you"

"Don't worry" John assured the Sheriff. "We've got a lot of experience dealing with unusual…" he trailed off as the nine looked up to see mechanical pterodactyls being ridden by gun-toting riders closing in on them. "I'm sorry, you were saying"

"Jurassic Park is frightening in the dark…" Flint sang quietly as Hex gave a snort of laughter.

"Flint, Diana. Take them down" Bruce ordered before Diana took off Flying and Flint merged with the sand to become a twenty foot behemoth.

"What the…" Lash said, his jaw dropping as the riders started firing energy weapons at them. Diana simply deflected the blasts with her bracelets before tearing the wing of one pterodactyl while Flint smacked the other out of the air. Both riders quickly jumped to safety before flying away on jetpacks.

"Why would they need robots if they had jetpacks?" Diana asked as Flint shrugged and turned back to normal size.

"Because nothing is more badass than a robot dinosaur"

* * *

The nine made their way into Tobias' camp, taking cover behind some rocks in order to survey their surroundings and form a plan. However, they didn't have long as they were suddenly attacked by some robot guards that were keeping an eye on the camp.

Flint easily knocked one aside with s single swing of his mace in order to destroy it as the others joined in the attack with him. Between the eight of them (David had opted for more cover) they made short work of the robots, occasionally coming into contact with one of Tobias' lieutenants. One rode in on a velociraptor while another had a tank. However, they were swiftly defeated before the heroes surrounded the leader.

"Tobias!" Smith roared.

"If it isn't Pow-Wow Smith" Tobias smirked at the sheriff as he looked at his gun in an almost bored fashion. "Wasn't expecting to see your sorry hide again:

"I've told you before about calling me that" Smith growled. "It ain't gonna happen again"

"No" Tobias agreed before the barrels on his gun extended and he took aim at the sheriff. "I expect this is gonna be the last time. Go for your gun chief, so I can ventilate you proper"

He then however, took notice of the others as Bruce drew one of his batarangs. "Seven guns, seven of us. Nobody miss" In that moment, the batarang flew through the air, joined by two bullets, a whip, an energy blast, a bladed tiara, and a fist made of sand as they all made contact with the gun before reducing it to a useless pile of scrap metal.

"My guns!" Tobias cried as Smith smirked.

"You and me partner. Right now"

Tobias looked at the scrap before chuckling. "Another day lawman" he smirked before running into a nearby shed and emerging from the roof of it on the back of a winged mechanical horse.

"I can't catch him in the air!" Smith shouted as Flint stepped forwards.

"Need a lift?" Flint asked before grabbing the sheriff and rocketing up with a blast of sand, setting the sheriff on the back of the horse as he punched Tobias on the back of the head. As a result, he lost control of the horse before they both crashed back on the ground as Tobias grunted in anger.

"Have it your way" he seethed before pulling out a knife. "Let's finish this!"

Tobias as it turned out, was a subpar fighter, as Smith had little trouble beating him to a pulp before dumping him on the ground with a decisive uppercut. Once Tobias was on the ground, Smith removed the belt before looking back at the heroes.

"This what you're looking for?"

* * *

After gathering Tobias and his men together, they gathered up the technology that didn't belong in this time period before Lantern bubbled it and launched it out towards the sun before changing back into their normal costumes. "Near as my ring can tell, that's everything that shouldn't be here"

"Shoot" Lash pouted before shrugging. "I wanted one of them fancy ray guns"

"Ain't dependable. They jam" Hex countered while Batman and David worked on the chrono-belt off to the side.

"You forgot to reset the compensator" David frowned before reaching for the belt. "Here, let me" he said before pressing a button that fired a beam of energy at Batman, sending him to the ground.

"Or maybe I'm lying!" David laughed maniacally before pressing a button and disappearing through another time-tunnel as the three other leaguers helped their team mate up and followed close behind him. The heroes of the west tried to follow, only for the tunnel to vanish before they could.

* * *

The four leaguers once again emerged from the tunnel, this time landing on the ground in an alleyway as Flint stood up slowly.

"Dark and gloomy? Must be Gotham" he assumed as Batman gave him a small glare. However before he could speak, a different voice interrupted them.

"We've been expecting you" a sinister voice said as the heroes turned to see what appeared to be a group of robotic sci-fi clowns approaching. Judging by their weapons and their sinister faces, they clearly weren't friendly.

Before they could get much closer, a bolt of lightning forced them back as four new faces appeared. "But I don't think you were expecting us!" a new speaker announced, revealing an African-American man with grey dreadlocks and a purple coat landing on the ground. He was joined by a man in a black suit with pointed ears and a red bat symbol on his chest, and another man with silver armour and black wings. Finally, there was the lone woman of their group, wearing a black dress and corset, with fishnet stockings and thigh high leather boots covered in buckles. She had a small top hat on her head, alongside a green scarf, a bandana that covered her lower face, and goggles that rested on her forehead, while holding what appeared to be some sort of magic staff.

Green Lantern looked at the man with dreadlocks in surprise. "Static?" he asked in disbelief as the winged man looked at him in shock.

"Dad?" he asked. However he wasn't the only one to be surprised. The woman took her bandana off of her face, revealing green lipstick as she looked at Flint.

"Daddy?" she breathed.

Flint blinked before a sense of realisation came over him. "What the… Keemia?!"

* * *

 **How's that for a cliffhanger? And besides; Cameos! Cameos galore!**

 **If you guys like the occasional cameos from Marvel characters (or other unknown characters), be sure to let me know.**

 **In any case, be sure to leave a review. Next time, Justice League past and present unite to finally stop Chronos!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	15. The Once and Future Thing, Part 2

**Hey guys! WafflesTheApprentice here!**

 **Welcome** **to the next chapter of Sandman Unlimited. Now, this is gonna be the last chapter at least for a bit. I have several papers that were just assigned and I want to focus on them alone so I can finish them all on time. And since this episode actually ended the first season of Justice League Unlimited, it's rather fitting. Anyways, question time!**

 **Lucian Naruto: Dr. Fate meeting Dr. Strange? Oh I already planned this one out. Also, I almost forgot that Flint was infertile until you reminded me. That certainly helps with the drama in the future. Also, regarding Keemia having a love interest, as well as a possible 'Young Justice' sequel... maybe. I haven't decided, but if there is enough interest once I finish this story, it could be a real possibility.**

 **CherryPeach12: Of course I'll do a chapter for "The Balance", after all it's very important to magic. And Zatanna uses magic. And Flint loves Zatanna. Just wait until you see how I do that chapter.**

 **demonic hellfire: Somebody guessed correctly**

 **Daniel's the man 98: You'll see.**

 **Nicochan11: Will his team mates be happy? Some will, some won't. It'll be an interesting mix. As for fighting Task Force X... maybe.**

 **Since the Marvel cameos were received so well, expect more in the future.**

 **Thanks once again to my handy, handy beta! If anyone else want's to beta for me as a backup just in case, be sure to shoot me off a message.**

 **Disclaimer: Sandman and all Marvel characters are property of Marvel. All Justice League and related characters are property of DC comics.**

 **Now, onto the chapter!**

* * *

In the long time Flint had been active in the metahuman community, Flint had come to see and expect a lot. There wasn't much that could surprise him at this point. So, when he was sent back into the old west alongside Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Batman he wasn't too terribly shocked. He figured he'd come across time travel sooner or later, so this was still fairly par for the course. Then he got sent into the future. A post-apocalyptic future. Slightly more unexpected, but he could still run with it.

But seeing Keemia of all people in this future was what surprised him.

Keemia… his little girl. His daughter who, last time he checked, wanted nothing to do with him and completely severed him from her life. And now she was here, in this new universe. However, all of his questions (and he had many) would have to wait. At the moment, he just remembered the murderous group of clowns approaching them.

"We need to get out of here" the man dressed in all black said before one of the goons began to grin maniacally.

"Leaving so soon?" he cackled. The goon in question wore a black and orange outfit, and his body looked like it was stitched together out of various discarded parts. "You didn't even take any party favours!" he added before throwing a pumpkin in the air, which released several small explosives in front of them. John quickly put a shield up in response as Flint gave a small chuckle.

"Pumpkin bombs? Finally something I'm used to!"

"You're used to something that ridiculous?" John asked in mild surprise as he kept focus on the barrier he conjured.

"W-wait… you've seen these? But they're unique to me!" the goon insisted in disbelief.

"Where I come from, we've got something like twelve goblin themed villains and they all used pumpkin bombs" Flint shrugged as Keemia smirked.

"After the first four goblins it gets rather boring. Sorry Ghoul, you're old news" she taunted before pulling her bandana back on.

"I will not be mocked!" Ghoul called before throwing more bombs, slowly weakening John's shield.

"That's not gonna hold!" the winged man warned before the barrier suddenly broke under the repeated stress. As it did, the heroes broke off to fight the clowns individually.

Wonder Woman squared off against a fat clown with a pink shirt and mask, named Chucko. However, the lower half of his body was replaced with a large ball. He drew a double-bladed energy sword and started whinging it at her, as she easily blocked it with her bracelets. However, every time she did, she was hit with a sudden feeling of agony.

Green Lantern was currently helping the man dressed in black to fight identical twins, each of whom wore white hats and shorts, with red crop tops and clown make up. They swung energy whips dangerously as they circled the two heroes.

"Look Dee-Dee, another Green Lantern" one of the twins called.

"He's much cuter than the last one we killed" her sister commented. "Don't you agree Dee-Dee?"

Close by, the winged man fought against the single most bizarre and frightening member of the gang. His opponent resembled a human-hyena hybrid, only with mechanical arms; this was Woof. Woof was especially fast and vicious, constantly keeping the winged hero at a distance.

Flint had one hand transformed into a mace as he helped Static to fight against the largest of the group; a giant bald one in a red shirt with black overalls, named Bonk. One of his arms had been replaced with a large hammer, however it was having no effect on the sand based hero who allowed it to pass through him harmlessly as Static shocked him from a distance.

Flint remembered Static from back in their own time. He was a reserve member of the Justice League alongside his friend Gear, and while they were a little brash at times, they were still well-seasoned heroes.

"This an everyday occurrence for you?" Flint asked.

"Which part? Fighting the villains or meeting dead people?" Static retorted with a small laugh before dodging another blow.

"Fair enough point there" Flint conceded.

"Hey Static! Trade you!" Keemia called, as she used a beam of magic to force Ghoul back into Batman who tossed him aside while nimbly dodging his buzz-saw hands.

"You got it Djinn" he nodded before running to help the dark knight as Keemia came to help her father.

"Your codename is Djinn?" Flint asked incredulously as Bonk's hammer passed through him harmlessly again.

"Yep. It honours mom's memory anyway" she answered with a solemn smile before shrugging. "Besides, some of my magic is sand based"

"IS that based off of me?"

"Partly" she answered. "The other reason… would be spoilers"

"Spoilers?" he asked before realizing. "Oh right. Future. Guess that means you can't tell me how you got to this world then"

"Sorry, but I don't want to wreck the future"

"More than it already is?" he smirked as Bonk growled I frustration at how he couldn't land a single hit on Sandman.

"Would you stop that?!" The giant villain yelled as the man in black came to help Batman and Static.

"We have to get out of here!" he calls seriously as Wonder Woman shoots him an incredulous look.

"No way! We're the Justice League, we don't back down from a fight!" she argued as Flint nodded.

"Besides, this guy ain't doing to hot" he said before gesturing a thumb to Bonk who failed again at damaging Flint only to be met with a dumpster in the face, tossed at him by Keemia's magic.

"He has a point. Once their backup gets here, it'll be a lot worse. We need to fall back and make a plan" Keemia pointed out.

"She's right" Green Lantern finally admitted before putting a barrier between the heroes and the villains. "Static, give us a light show!"

Static nodded before focusing his power in his hands, and releasing it as one massive blast of lightning that erupted in front of the clowns. They all covered their eyes to shield themselves before charging forward after the heroes. However, once the light faded they found the heroes had vanished.

Staring at the now empty alley Ghoul suddenly grimaced.

"The boss won't like this" he noted as the others suddenly paled at the thought.

"Oh poop" Chucko said simply.

* * *

After making their daring escape, the League followed their new allies down into a polluted tunnel before they headed out. Needless to say, the time travellers were more than a little shocked at the various historical buildings that covered the streets, including the Sphinx, the Coliseum, and Stonehenge. As much as they wanted to stop and investigate, they had to keep moving.

"Where are we headed?" Teleporter coordinates for the Watchtower?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Not exactly" the man in black answered cryptically as he continued to lead them down. It was an hour later when the heroes finally found themselves at an old run down high school. Once checking to make sure they weren't followed, the heroes made their way inside to their base of operations.

"This is Justice League HQ?" Batman asked.

"For now" Static replied, turning a computer on as a solemn look came over his face. "We're all that's left of the League.

The heroes of the past looked at them in shock as they all tried to process what they were just told. In their time, the Justice League numbered almost sixty individuals, all of whom were more than a formidable match for any villain. But now, only four remained? Flash, Zatanna, Aquaman, Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Black Canary… what had happened to them all?

"You've traveled to about fifty years into your future" the man in black explained before folding his arms. "By the way, I'm the new Batman. Welcome to Neo-Gotham"

"I'm calling you something different to avoid confusion" Flint frowned before thinking. "If this is Neo-Gotham, then you're Neo-Batman"

"How about no?" the newly christened Neo-Batman glared before Lantern turned to Static.

"Last time I saw you, you were too young to drive. You look good for a man your age"

"Static gave a hearty chuckle before nodding. "The miracles of modern medicine. Sixty-five is the new thirty"

"What happened to the Watchtower?" Batman asked gruffly.

"Gone" Neo-Batman admitted sadly, looking down. "We lost a lot of good people that day"

"You mean Superman, J'onn and all the others?" Wonder Woman asked, dreading the answer.

"Yeah. All of you too" the winged man answered before removing his helmet to look at them all.

"And the batcave?" Batman continued before the sound of a cane could be heard coming down the hallway towards them.

"This is all we have left. Deal with it" a gruff and cynical voice said, in an all too familiar tone. An elderly man stepped out from the shadows of the hallway to face the new arrivals before leaning on his cane. Each of the past Leaguers looked at him in shock. Was it really Bruce?

"Surprised to see me?" the old man asked Batman.

"A little" the detective answered, raising his eyebrow. "But I'm a little more surprised to see I've lived for so long"

"Batman, Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne, Batman" Neo-Batman introduced before smirking. "Or have you met?"

"Not now!" both Wayne's barked the same gruff tone of voice coming from them as they levelled a glare at their younger counterpart.

"Great. What did they use to call it? Stereo?" the new caped crusader groaned, rubbing his ears as Keemia rolled her eyes.

"Suck it up Terry" she said plainly as he grumbled quietly to himself.

"This is a little weird for everybody" the winged man said, before removing his helmet and extending a hand to John. "I'm War Hawk. Rex Stewart" he announced.

Once again, the shock on the Leaguer's faces was evident, even if Flint could easily see how John and Shayera would get together. As much as they would deny it, they still loved each other. The kid was a bit more of a shock though.

"Your mother… who is she?" John asked as he shook the younger hero's hand.

"Kind of obvious, don't you think?" Rex chuckled before flexing his wings a bit.

"What about her?" Diana asked, looking at the last member of the team with curiosity.

Flint gave his daughter a small nod as she turned to face the others. "I'm Djinn, alias Keemia Marko"

John raised an eyebrow at that. "Marko? Then you're…"

"My daughter" Flint answered as Wonder Woman looked puzzled at the information.

"I thought she broke all ties with you" she questioned, before noting the incredulous looks Flint and Keemia shot her. "No offense"

"None taken. As for why I'm here now… that would be spoilers" she said smugly before Flint rubbed his chin.

"You know, you're only barely younger than static. How do you still look Diana's age?" he questioned, with Keemia taking note of the age difference she displayed from her team mates.

"That's more spoilers, but it involves magic if that makes it easier to comprehend"

"It at least makes sense" Diana nodded.

"So you use magic?" John asked.

"Yep. Z taught me most of what she knew. And I use enchanted sand to remember dad" she answered, sitting on her staff like a witch's broom as it floated in the air.

"Look, all this is nice and all, but we still have a bit of a looming threat to worry about" Warhawk said before frowning at the others. "How are you so calm about this?"

"Probably because we're gonna win" Flint shrugged.

"Excuse me?" Warhawk asked, confused.

"He has a point" Static added. "If old Bruce is here, then Batman here lived through it. And if you're still around, then so did John. So, at the very least, they survived"

"Flawless logic" the older Bruce commented dryly. "Except that I have no memory of going to the future and meeting my older self, or of anything else that's going on today"

'Probably because you're close to 90' Flint thought, rolling his eyes.

"Those historical buildings we saw earlier… the time stream is becoming fluid" the Batman of the past pondered.

"Indeed it has… and it will only become more unravelled, until the entirety of your world becomes unhinged at the very origin of its own inception" a new voice called, one that Flint recognized. The others became suddenly wary, drawing their weapons at the sight of what appeared to be a spectral figure before Flint stood in front of them.

"Relax, he's a friend" he said before turning around. "This is Doctor Steven Strange, the sorcerer supreme of my home world" he explained.

"Then why is he here?" Batman asked with his signature glare.

"I sensed a disturbance in the time stream through the Eye of Agamatto." The sorcerer answered, gesturing to the amulet around his neck. "I recognised that there was no threat to our world, but I was still curious so I sought out the source. I was the only one of our time jumping heroes who could arrive at the source of the disturbance"

"So can you help us at all?" Wonder Woman asked hopefully.

"Not as much as I would like. But I shall try my best"

* * *

David Clinton was not a happy man. Sure, he was currently walking through the dining room of the Titanic, holding the hand of his wife Enid as she wore the authentic Elizabethan dress he had stolen for her. But the heroes of the Justice League were causing trouble for him. And as Chronos, that was something he just could not stand.

"Enid, I must say that I am vexed" he mused before nodding. "Yes, vexed is precisely the word"

"Y-you mustn't let yourself get upset David" Enid said timidly, as she clung to his arm out of fear. Before he became the time-travelling conqueror Chronos, her husband was weak-willed, easy to boss around. She regularly walked all over him, but now?

Now she was terrified.

He thought for a moment before nodding. "You're right dear" he agreed before looking up at his gang of hired thugs. They were a group of criminals in this time, referred to as the Jokerz. While they were bumbling fools on their own, they proved to be useful enough to him. However, they had failed to kill the Justice League like he had asked them to, so he was still less than enthused. "But here we are. Now, look at it from my point of view. I go to the trouble of taking over the whole city, just so I can have a place to keep my collection…"

"And it's a beautiful collection David" Enid added, hoping to placate her husband in order to curb his now more frightening temper.

"I was gonna say the same thing boss" Chucko said as he sat up straight on his futon in the dining room. "For instance, this is a really nice boat; big!" he exclaimed as the rest of his gang nodded in agreement. Chronos was not quite as agreeable as he levelled a glare to them.

"Don't patronize me Chucko. And especially don't interrupt me"

"I'm sorry" the goon hastily apologized.

"Sorry, _what?_ " Chronos pressed as the Jokerz shared the same exasperated look. "Everybody?"

"Sorry Lord Chronos" they whined in unison before slumping back.

"Something doesn't seem right" Chronos continued as he paced in front of them. "I go to the future, I give you the technology that gives you all your powers, and I let you run amok in my city. In return for the occasional… security job, and what do you do in return?" he asked as the twins looked to each other, brief embarrassment on their faces.

"Umm…" they started before Chronos cut them off.

"That was rhetorical!" the conqueror insisted with a shout. "The point is, I gave you an easy job. Take care of Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Sandman. It should have been fifteen minute's work!"

"But the Justice League showed up!" Bonk insisted. "They got in our way! Besides, none of us could actually land a hit on Sandman…" he trailed off as Chronos pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yes they did. And the question arises who told them where and when the four would show up? I mean, I told you, and only I know because I'm the undisputed master of space and time" (In a far off dimension, Kang the Conqueror suddenly felt the urge to snort in laughter)

"I'll look into it boss" Chucko said with a confident voice. "I'll find out where the leak was"

"No, don't trouble yourself Chucko" Chronos started before leaning close to the clown's ear. "I already know" he whispered, frightening the criminal suddenly.

At that moment, he pressed a button on his belt, producing an image of past events before the others. It showed Neo-Batman hand a large suitcase full of money to someone.

"Looks like someone's getting a payoff" Chronos smirked. "Yes, he is" he grinned wider as the image panned to show who was receiving the money, revealing Chucko. The other Jokers blanched in fear, stepping away from their comrade who was soon to become a dead man walking. Even Woof gave a brief whimper of fear as they watched.

"Chucko, Chucko, Chucko. You've been a very bad clown" Chronos said in a disappointed tone before opening another time tunnel and tossing the obese clown inside, following behind him. The fat clown fell on the ground as Chronos looked down at him in their new destination; the late cretaceous period. "Enjoy your stay" he said before returning to the future, leaving the clown stranded.

Chucko stood up quickly, looking around in fear as he saw a T-Rex approaching him, clearly hungry. He activated his energy sword quickly as he prepared for the large carnivore's attack.

"You think I'm scared?!" the clown shouted in an unsure voice. "I'll be running this dump in a few years..." he suddenly stopped as the dinosaur had since ignored him, instead looking in the sky behind the clown. Chucko followed his gaze only to see a large meteor quickly entering the Earth's atmosphere. "Oh phooey"

Chronos returned to the rest of his cohorts, taking note of their frightened expressions as he dusted his hands off.

"Do you know what killed the dinosaurs?" he asked as the remaining Jokerz each shook their heads warily. "Well, Chucko does. And unless you want to find out firsthand, you'll go finish off the Justice League. Skedaddle! Time is money!"

The Jokerz quickly made their hasty retreat away from the madman as Chronos sat down on a couch next to his wife pulling her into a hollow embrace. "Actually, time is the non-spatial continuum in which events occur linearly, usually in the direction of increased entropy, but the clowns seem to relate better to the money thing" he shrugged before giving a wry smile. "Oh Enid, look at what I've done, and you said I'd never amount to anything! I guess I showed you"

Enid gave a weak smile, nodding as her husband suddenly cackled madly before looking at her. "Now, I've taken over all of Gotham, which gives me plenty of space to store my antiques. Did you notice that I took that stud out of the garage? You can park there now if you like"

"Thank you David" she said timidly before remembering something important. "David, didn't you once say that it was dangerous to take important things from the past, that is could damage time somehow?"

His eyes suddenly narrowed dangerously. "Don't you think I can handle it?"

"O-of course I do!" she said quickly, holding her hands up in defense before she leaned over to give him a massage. "Dear?"

"Hm?"

"Do you know what would make me happy? If you let my mother out of the… thing, like you promised"

"We'll see" he answered in a dismissive tone. "Rub my neck"

Enid did as she was told, but she continued to talk. "It's just that, it seems cruel to keep her there so long…"

"Your mother also said that I'd never amount to anything" Chronos suddenly growled. "And you agreed with her!: he shouted before standing up suddenly and turning away from her, his shoulders shaking with the rage he barely contained. "Whatever I do, whatever I accomplish, will never be enough for you, will it?! I just wanted you to love me! I'm sick of this, and I'm sick of you!"

"Wait, baby, please!" she pleaded suddenly. "Isn't there anything I can do to make this right?"

"I sincerely doubt it" he finished before marching off to the captain's quarters of the ship to brood in silence. After locking the door, the sat down in his armchair with a sigh before a spectral form appeared before him.

"David Clinton" the figure called out.

"Who are you? What do you want?!" he shouted back suddenly.

"I am Steven Strange, a sorcerer supreme. And I am here to give you a warning"

"A warning? What kind?" he asked, reaching for his time-belt subtly.

"Your selfish actions in the time stream are unfolding the fabric of reality itself. If you do not stop, all of your reality will cease to exist" the spectral doctor said as Clinton sneered.

"Oh please, I know what I'm doing, and I don't have to take orders from the likes of you!" he shouted before trying to grab the spectral entity as it suddenly disappeared before he could grasp it. Now alone in the room, he sat back down once again, fuming even more.

* * *

Due to the heroes of the future not knowing the entirety of the situation, the Leaguers decided to spend the last hour regaling them of their journey to the old west. Needless to say, the heroes all had various reactions to everything they heard, especially to the robot dinosaurs. Static thought they were awesome, Keemia thought it was a weird choice, Terry thought it was stupid, and Warhawk was indifferent. Batman didn't listen to them as much, instead opting to work with his older counterpart on the computer, working on something intently.

Sandman was watching as Dr. Strange's astral form returned to their base, having nothing useful for them other than revealing that Chronos' current base of operations was in the Titanic. As the others though on this, the three bats brought a picture of their adversary up on the computer screen before calling their attention over.

"We don't know much about him, but obviously he's a time-travelling warlord" Terry began. "He's littered the streets with buildings he's stolen from other timelines"

"He's not quite a warlord. More a madman." Keemia shrugged. "Now Kang, that's a time travelling warlord"

"Damn straight" Flint nodded before they noticed the confused expressions the others gave them. Noting the silence, Strange cleared his throat to call their attention over.

"Regardless, David has become a grave threat to the entirety of your world's existence. If he does any more damage, your entire world will cease to exist. Potentially, he may end up destroying all of reality, our world included" he answers, leaving the two Markos suddenly fearful.

"Where the hell was Cable then?" Keemia asked, only to see Strange shake his head.

"I don't know. We need a solution, and fast, before everything ends"

"I've got something that might prevent that" Batman suddenly said, holding up a small disc he kept in his belt. "While we were in the old west I got a good look at his time belt. I've written a program that should disable it"

"If we can get close enough to upload it" Warhawk frowned, folding his arms.

"If we can get our hands on the belt, maybe we can stop any of this from happening in the first place!" Wonder Woman surmised, before the others stared in shock as she slowly started fading from their vision. "We could even undo the death of…" she continued before disappearing completely.

"Diana!" Batman yelled before reaching out to grab her… but he was too late. She was gone.

The entire group looked at the empty spot where she once stood in shock and horror before Bruce stepped forwards. "She never left the island?"

"Or she was never born" Batman replied grimly before Strange suddenly clutched his chest in pain.

"I must go. The time stream is severing itself again. Agamatto was never brought into existence…" he breathed as his image started to fade away from their view. "Do what you must, but you have to stop Clinton!" he finished before fading back to his home dimension.

"We need to find Chronos" Neo-Batman said seriously.

"How? He could be anywhere?" Static argued as Batman suddenly cracked his knuckles loudly, tucking the disc away.

"Sometimes the old way is the best way" he insisted before walking to the door.

"It won't work. You don't know your way around here, a lot of things have changed" Terry insisted.

"Are criminals still a superstitious and cowardly lot?" the older vigilante asked.

"Yep" Bruce confirmed.

"Good enough for me"

* * *

Across Gotham, and up high on the ledge of a skyscraper, Batman looked out, surveying the skyline of his city's future. If the Jokerz were as dumb as he thought they were, then there would be no trouble finding one of them. Or at the very least baiting one. At the sound of footsteps, he turned to see Ghoul approaching with a lecherous grin.

"You're supposed to be the _real_ Batman right?" he asked with a laugh. "I mean, the first one. I've seen history-cubes about you. It's hard to believe anyone as stupid as you ever beat the Joker" he continued before turning his hand into a buzz saw and charging at the dark knight.

"Maybe I'm smarter than I look" the hero answered, narrowing his eyes as a bolt of electricity suddenly struck the petty criminal. He tried to stand back up but a blast of magical energy forced him down again as he looked up to see the rest of the heroes standing on a platform that Green Lantern had produced for them.

"Oh… terrific" the criminal groaned as the heroes all landed.

"You've got some information we need Ghoul" Neo-Batman growled, as the villain tried to put on a brave face.

"You won't find me the talkative sort" he said in mock bravado bore Batman suddenly picked him up and hung him over the edge of the building.

"Where's Chronos? My arm's getting tired" Batman insisted before Bruce groaned in annoyance.

"I can't believe I was ever that green. _This_ is how you interrogate someone!" the old man yelled before grabbing Ghoul, tossing him across the rooftop, and approaching the now terrified cyborg with his cane raised.

* * *

"… and we've got nine thousand, four hundred and fifty-three active Jokerz, organized into about two hundred smaller groups" Ghoul continued, sufficiently scared by the older vigilante. "And I don't know where Chronos is! He contacts us! He spends every night in a different one of those old buildings" He answered, staring at the frowning old man. "There's no way of knowing ahead of time where he's gonna be, that's everything I know! I swear!"

"Everything?" Bruce asked again.

Ghoul frowned before looking away. "I wet my bed until I was fourteen"

"And that was useless. Permission to drop him?" Flint asked as Bruce shook his head.

"We don't have time for this" he yelled, raising his cane again before Batman stopped him.

"I can't control my friend here much longer. So, you'd better give me something we can use" he stated plainly.

"His wife!" Ghoul suddenly shouted. "I know where his wife is!" Batman nodded before getting him to explain as Static looked to Green Lantern in shock.

"Wow. Batman is playing the good cop?"

"Everything's relative" Lantern shrugged.

* * *

Despite what would appear to be an important figure to guard, the heroes found very little resistance as they entered the Great Pyramid where Enid Clinton was currently residing. The only security inside were some very easy to destroy robots, each of whom were dressed like zombified, Egyptian versions of the Joker. The heroes blasted through them with little trouble before Flint broke down the bedroom at the end of the hallway.

"Enid Clinton" he announced, stepping forwards before he suddenly was replaced by a brown haired Caucasian man. However, he still held a lantern ring. "We've got business with your husband." He continued before seeing the others staring at him in confusion. "What?"

"Uh… John?" Static asked.

The man blinked before nodding. "Hal Jordan. It was another time shift. I'm up to speed, carry on"

As the Lantern continued his approach, Neo-Batman stared down at the ground, rubbing his temples. "Okay, I'm starting to get a migraine"

"We'd better get used to it" Batman frowned. "Because it's going to get worse before it gets better. Any one of us could change, or even cease to exist"

"Anyone of us?" Flint asked before suddenly changing appearance. Instead of looking as he usually did, he was now wearing a baggy green hoodie covered in dollar-signs, a large gold chain, and with his fingers covered in rings. After a minute he changed back to normal.

"Uh Dad? What was that?" Keemia asked in confusion.

"I went through a phase" he answered simply, before looking away in embarrassment. 'I can believe I was ever the Sandilicious Sandman'

"This is why we need to find your husband ma'am" Hal explained, gesturing to Flint as Enid turned to face him, looking away fearful and amused by what just happened. "We just want to undo the harm he's caused. You have my word, we'll do everything in our power to keep from hurting him"

"Between you and me? I wouldn't mind one bit if he got roughed up along the way" she said in a dry tone.

"Then where is he today? The Parthenon? The Great Sphynx?" Warhawk asked as she shook her head.

"He just wants people to think he moves around. But he always sleeps in the same place"

* * *

As it turned out, true to his ego, David spent every one of his nights inside the Coliseum, looking brand new as though it were just built. Enid had insisted that she followed the heroes, if only to see her husband get his dues for all the trouble he'd caused. Much to their surprise, the inside of the Coliseum held the same cell he spent six months in back in the old west. Hal raised an eyebrow before scanning it with his ring.

"No booby-traps..." he said before turning back to John Stewart. "At least, none that my ring could find"

"Make up your mind would you?" Static said in exasperation as John rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, it's safe to go in" The lantern confirmed. The heroes stepped inside the jailhouse before looking on in confusion. David was sleeping in the exact same cell the heroes had seen him in a few hours previous.

"Of all places? Why sleep here?" Lantern asked as Enid gave a dry laugh.

"Because a loser with a kingdom is still just a loser" she answered before pulling the blanket off of her husband. He was suddenly startled out of his sleep as Neo-Batman looked to Enid, completely unimpressed.

"Nice going on the stealth lady" he said sarcastically.

David immediately pressed a button on his belt, summoning the same group of Jokerz as before – albeit with Chucko missing – as Batman scowled.

"Get the belt! Nothing else matters!" he shouted before diving forwards as the villain disappeared though another time tunnel.

Warhawk charged first before getting knocked away by Bonk, who changed his fist into a mallet. Flint smirked before making his own hammers. "Round two moron!" he laughed before striking the clown as Keemia came to give him backup.

Enid immediately dove for safety as Warhawk got up shakily, steadied by Green Lantern. "Feel like taking down the bad guys with your old man?" he asked.

Warhawk suddenly grinned triumphantly before nodding. "Always"

While Bonk was being easily handled by Sandman and Djinn, Static went to blast Woof away into the wall, and Neo-Batman faced off against the twins. That left Green Lantern and Warhawk to fight an approaching Ghoul. Ghoul suddenly stopped before looking at the heroes, then looking at his smaller saws, then looking back at the heroes again. "You know what? I'm going home" he announced before running away quickly, leaving the two heroes surprised.

"That was… Surprisingly anticlimactic" Warhawk complained as his father shrugged.

"Oh well. We can still take down the twins" he suggested before both heroes set off to assist Neo-Batman, who was trying his best to keep out of range of their electro whips.

Bonk meanwhile, failed to strike Flint again, before looking to Djinn. He gave a sinister grin before approaching her. She took notice and raised her hands as a sudden dark aura covered her eyes. "Destruction! Give me strength!" she called out before her staff became a sledgehammer and she knocked the clown away into a wall, knocking him out. The shockwave from the strike however was so powerful that it shattered several columns directly in front of her as well as cracking the walls.

"Whoa… what the hell was that?" her father asked in confusion as she looked back. She turned to him before giving a sheepish laugh.

"Uh… spoilers?"

Flint looked at her with a frown before rolling his eyes and turning to help Static with Woof. Enid watched the fights closely from her hiding spot near one of the pillars, just as Chronos appeared out of another time tunnel near her location.

"How could you betray me Enid? Everything I've done, I've done for you!" he shouted.

"Don't blame this on me!" she yelled back. "I just wanted you to assert yourself, not destroy reality!" she insisted.

"This is what marriage counsellors are for you know" Flint deadpanned as the heroes all approached, having defeated their opponents and leaving the Jokerz knocked out on the side of the coliseum.

"Chronos! Look what's around you, look at the sky!" Batman yelled as Chronos followed his gaze up. To his shock, he saw what looked like a white light literally erasing the sky before them.

"Pretty" he muttered as Green Lantern face palmed.

"Stay with us man! We've got a problem here!" he groaned.

Chronos suddenly snapped out of his stupor as he nodded. "Right. You're right. This calls for another approach" he nodded before kissing Enid on the cheek and entering another time tunnel. "You'll love me next time!"

Sandman, Batman, and Green Lantern quickly followed behind him, entering the time tunnel as the rest of the heroes stayed behind.

"Good luck dad" Keemia said, before pulling her bandana down and smiling.

* * *

Once inside the tunnel, Green Lantern immediately sealed the trio inside of a bubble as he used it to pursue Chronos who was making a mad dash towards what appeared to be a bright white light. However, once the heroes' eyes adjusted, they saw what appeared to be a large hand holding a spiral of incredible and undiscernible energy.

"Holy…" Flint said in shock. "Is that the dawn of time?!"

"We can't let him reach it. He could change anything. Bend all of reality to his will!" Batman said seriously.

"Only if he gets there first!" Lantern replied before increasing the bubble's speed. "The Green Lanterns have a legend. No one can see the beginning of time. It's a universal law!"

"We're not gonna catch him in time!" Flint said in fear as Chronos rapidly approached the hand. As the heroes themselves approached, Flint could only stare in shock at what he saw. From the hand, various large entities were born, most of which he recognized. Among them…

"Galactus…" he whispered in surprise.

Suddenly, a hole in the funnel opened, as a teenage girl jumped through, putting Chronos in a headlock as she tossed him to the heroes. John quickly reacted in time to bring him inside the bubble.

"What the? Who the hell are you?" Flint asked as the girl folded her arms.

"You've never met me, and probably never will, but my name is Tempus" she said in a snide voice. "And the only reason I'm here is because his world-destroying ego just made my favourite author cease to exist. Please, KICK HIS ASS!" she shouted before leaving through another tunnel.

Batman wasted no time in clipping the disc to the belt, the program immediately taking effect.

"The program is uploading!" he announced.

"Make it fast, because I'm having a little trouble with the brakes!" Lantern said fearfully as the heroes watched their bubble fall towards the hand.

As the bubble suddenly disappeared, seven cosmic siblings watched them with interest.

"What does the book say about him brother?" One asked.

Her brother, a cloaked figure opened his book that was chained to his wrist before smirking.

"Much" Destiny answered before shutting the book.

* * *

Tempus returned to her normal time before sitting back in her chair with a sigh, and picking up the book she was reading.

"Where'd you get to?" Anole said, looking at her with interest.

She shrugged indignantly, not even looking at him. "I needed to stretch my legs"

* * *

Doctor Strange woke up with a jolt as his astral form returned to his body. Taking a brief moment to scan the multiverse for any sign of timeline breakdown, he sighed in relief when he found nothing.

"Would you like some tea, Doctor?" his pupil Wong asked, entering the room with a steaming pot.

"Yes, I believe it would do me some good" Steven agreed.

* * *

Batman, Green Lantern, and Sandman suddenly looked around in shock, finding themselves back in the Watchtower cafeteria. Hawkgirl had just walked in, like she did before they left. Even their food was still warm.

"That all… really happened?" Green Lantern asked in confusion.

"I think so" Batman answered, unsure.

"So… did we win?" Flint asked.

"I think so. Everything looks like it's back to normal" Lantern surmised just as Wonder Woman approached them.

"That's a nasty cut John" she commented as the Lantern touched his forehead gingerly. Once he saw the small blot of blood on his fingers, he vaguely remembered receiving the cut when he fought Woof, the crazed hyena-man having taken a swipe at him.

"You don't remember going on a mission with us today, do you?" Batman asked.

"I just got here" Wonder Woman replied in a confused tone.

Batman leaned close to Flint and John before whispering. "The timeline's corrected itself; we're the only ones who remember what happened"

Lantern nodded, before his expression turned to one of shock the moment he saw Shayera. Apparently, the revelation of Rex was still a surprise to him. "That… complicates things"

"Seriously man? No it doesn't. Technically it's easier, now you know that there's still a chance" Flint countered.

John looked unconvinced before frowning at Bruce. "By the way, what happened to Chronos?"

"I put him into an infinite time loop. He'll never be able to escape" the dark knight answered.

"Well, this has been fun, but I think I'm gonna take Z to the movies. See you later" Flint shrugs before standing up and leaving.

The Amazon watched him leave before turning to face Bruce expectantly. "You _are_ gonna tell me what's going on" she said, much to the detective's sudden unease. He turned to look at the Lantern, who shot him a smug grin before making a whipping motion with his arm.

"Wh-Kssssh!"

* * *

Flint and Zatanna walked into the theatre with a smile, sitting as they waited for the movie to begin. They decided that a comedy would be best, so they quickly selected one that looked good at random before going and waiting for it to begin.

"This was a great idea Flint, I needed a break" she smiled before noting the distracted look on Flint's face. "Flint?"

He was shaken from his stupor before sighing. "Sorry, I'm just a little distracted" he said before noting her confusion. "I got sent to the future with Batman and Green Lantern while on a mission. While there… I saw that my daughter was there"

"Keemia? You mean…"

"Yeah. She comes here at some point. I just don't know why"

She frowned before smiling with a sudden thought. "Hey, don't be so upset by this. It just means she forgives you"

Flint thought on this for a moment before he looked back at her. "You're right Z. I just can't believe it"

"Believe what?"

He was silent as the lights dimmed and the movie started. "I'm gonna get my little girl back"

* * *

 **And there you have it folks!**

 **First, I selected her codename as Djinn for very simple reasons. Keemia and her mother Alma are Persian (in fact Keemia is Persian for "Alchemy"), and Djinns are beings in Persian mythology. They're said to be magical and appear out of sandstorms. Keemia uses magic and also possesses enchanted sand. It makes sense from a heritage and power standpoint.**

 **Second, foreshadowing! If you can tell me who those seven beings are that watched our heroes at the end, you win! Even better, see if you can guess their connection to Keemia.**

 **The relationships continue to blossom as well, as Flint and Zatanna are now dating on a regular basis. Will they stay this happy?**

 **And finally, yes. The "Sandilicious Sandman" was a real thing that Flint did once. I'm not even joking.**

 **Be sure to leave a review! Next time, CADMUS makes their next move with the return of Doomsday.**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	16. The Doomsday Sanction

**Surprise, turns out I read my calendar wrong and one of my assignments isn't due for another week! I was worried for nothing, so you guys get another chapter!**

 **First of all, I want to thank you all for the positive feedback on my last chapter. It received in one week, more reviews than any of my other chapters have for themselves, and I love to hear all of your ideas and theories. Keep them coming, that stuff is great! Also, congrats to Dion ComicWiz and PutAsideDevil for guessing the Endless correctly. Their involvement, will be coming real soon (Like chapter after this one soon).**

 **Speaking of reviews, I have some answers to questions!:**

 **Nicochan11: Some will work with him, and some against. See if you can guess who though, it'll be fun.**

 **LegionnareBlaze: While that guess is incorrect, I'll be damned if it isn't the most badass thing I've heard for a while. Honestly, I'm kind of kicking myself for not thinking of that, but I still have my own ideas to run.**

 **Jestalnaker94000: He'll be a little busy with a missile I think**

 **Sgt. M00re: Sorry, no Hulk. But I hope you find this chapter awesome anyway.**

 **GodSwampThing: Yes I do. And there will be an explanation for this in the next chapter too.**

 **Daniel's the man 98: No Galactus will not be coming to the DC earth. Only because he has responsibilities in the Marvel universe.**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Good to see you back man. Will the Endless turn up again? Oh hell yes! Will the Justice League go to the Marvel earth? see previous answer of "Oh hell yes!"**

 **demonic hellfire: Polarity is one of my favourite fanfics, and I highly recommend anyone interested to read it. If you want to see the Shocker become a big damn hero, this is your story.**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: It's a good guess, but incorrect. Still a good guess though.**

 **MoonWolfAtlantis: I might end up using at east one of those cameos eventually. I just have to think of someway to use them.**

 **With all that out of the way, I present now the disclaimer.**

 **Disclaimer: Sandman and all associated characters and events are property of Marvel and therefore Disney. The Justice League, CADMUS, and all associated characters belong to DC comics and Warner brothers. I only own this story!**

 **Now, onto the plot!**

* * *

After what was arguably their most chaotic and bizarre adventure yet, both Flint and John thought it would have been a wise idea to take a little vacation. As such, both had spent the past weekend relaxing and enjoying fun personal activities.

Sitting on their couches and eating potato chips while watching football.

So the usual.

However, once Wally game up with the idea for another poker night, both were more than willing to join in on the game. With Oliver still mending from his fight with Wildcat in the underground cage fighting scene Meta-Brawl (something he helped Black Canary to break up), the billionaire was more than willing to host them at his penthouse. Of course they figured having a fifth player would have made things more fun, and so with the other usual players busy with League duties they had to invite the only available player they could.

The Question.

Oliver opened his penthouse door, inviting Flint and John inside each of whom were carrying drinks and chips. Wally was already waiting at the table as Flint nodded.

"We still waiting on Vic then?" he asked, setting the drinks aside as Oliver grimaced.

"Oh no. He's been here for a while now" Oliver said before gesturing to his bedroom door, which the Question, still refusing to remove his mask, just exited. "He was searching through my sock drawer"

"Well since we're here, let's just start the game now" Wally shrugged before shuffling as the others took their seats.

"You know how to play this game Victor?" John asked, taking a sip of his drink as the detective nodded.

"I did a stakeout in a Vegas casino for a week. Learned it real fast"

"Let me guess, conspiracy right?" Oliver scoffed.

"Of course"

"Oh please" Wally said, rolling his eyes. "As if there's ever a secret society leading all of humanity"

"You mean the illuminati?" John asked with a smirk.

"Well they exist in my world" Flint tossed in as the others looked at him in confusion and surprise. "What? The most intelligent beings of my world formed a team to help guide humanity"

Despite his mask, they others could easily tell that the Question was smirking at this revelation. "Told you"

"That's there, not here" John asserted before Wally dealt the cards.

"Easy John, our vacation ends tomorrow morning" Flint points out. "We want to enjoy this. After all, tomorrow we could have a hell of a job"

"What are the odds of that?" the Lantern scoffed before looking at his cards.

* * *

"What are the odds of that? Pretty damn good ones John!" Flint shouted, as he shoveled piles of sand to create a temporary berm to assist in an evacuation. As it turned out, early the next morning Flint was sent out to help evacuate the island of San Baquero under threat of a volcanic eruption. John of course was on an away mission in deep space and wouldn't be back for a few days.

But Flint could wait.

With the volcano currently being left bubbling its own molten core, the League had a limited amount of time before the inevitable eruption occurred. As such they were wasting no time in their evacuation, with Flash running into the various villages to move those who couldn't leave on their own while Wonder Woman oversaw the rest of the efforts with the other Leaguers.

Flint however was given something different to do. With the main worry being safety for the residents of San Baquero, he and Longshadow were given the task of construction large berms of sand to help with sheltering should the eruption happen sooner than expected.

Needless to say, between the two of them, they were making a large amount of headway and had made a fairly sizeable defense.

"How we looking there Shadow?" Flint asked, moving along the walls to make sure they were holding well while Longshadow carefully formed the top.

"Not too bad from here Flint. It's fairly strong"

"Good work kid" he called back with a grin. Since his joining the League, Longshadow had quickly proven himself a very capable hero. His outfit had remained mostly unchanged, as he saw no need for it. He was also proving to be rather popular among the other heroes, most seeing him as a worthy addition. It was even noticed by a few how he seemed to be forming a budding, albeit slow bubbling, romance with Stargirl. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Flint… or her step dad S.T.R.I.P.E.

Flint had become almost his mentor. While not officially holding the title, he was helping to mold him as a hero, as well as being his confidant whenever he had a problem. All in all, things were pretty good, and Flint was even thinking about inviting him to poker night (Although as a teenager he really deserved to have a more normal Friday night than playing cards).

"Alright, if you're okay here I'm gonna help with the evacuation here" Longshadow called before moving out to help launch the boats full of evacuees.

"You got it. I can hold up this end fine" he shrugged before turning back to the wall. Despite his confidence, something was still hanging heavily in his mind. Batman had gone to meet with Amanda Waller, the head of CADMUS. In the wake of this, he had some information to share.

 _-Flashback-_

"How long is this going to take? I thought we had an island to evacuate?" Flash asked as Flint and John arrived for the meeting with the other founding members. With the last few months having gone so well, and with Flint proving himself to be reliable, he was among several other heroes who were allowed to sit in on the meetings if they so wished. This list also included Green Arrow, Black Canary, Atom, and Zatanna.

"The first team is already down there" Wonder Woman said. "And we'll join them as soon as we're done here" she continued before turning to Batman who stood at the head of the table while the others sat. "What did you learn?"

"Project CADMUS is in the business of developing weapons" he started, before his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Specifically, to fight us"

"Well the Supergirl clone is proof enough don't you think?" Flint asked. After the Galatea incident, he and Supergirl wasted no time in telling the rest of the founders the details involved. Needless to say, they were quite alarmed at that fact. "Besides, we already know they made the Ultimen. Why not her?"

"They're worried we've grown too powerful, and they want to even the odds" J'onn said, thinking on the idea.

After this initial fact, Batman continued to tell them the reason behind all these developments. As it turns out, following the extradimensional invasion by their evil counterparts, the Justice Lords, CADMUS was more than worried. In the Justice Lords world, they had completely toppled the governments of the world. They were making their own super-humans to fight back in case the Justice League suddenly had the same idea.

"That's crazy!" Flash exclaimed. "We'd never try to take over like that!"

"If the Justice Lords did, why couldn't we?" Batman countered in a serious tone. "We have more than eight times the members that they do. We could take over the world in a weekend"

"Seriously? You really think that you guys would just take over the world? What about the morals you stand for? Superman wouldn't just give it all up, everything that makes him a hero, just for the sake of protection through uncontested domain" Flint said, gesturing to the Man of Steel who nodded thoughtfully.

"Besides, the only reason those guys went overboard was because their Flash died" Flash added. "So as longs as you all focus on keeping me alive, that'll never happen here"

The others were silent until J'onn spoke up again. "Let's put a pin in that theory to explore another time"

Superman suddenly frowned. "I've seen the federal budget, and there's no funding for a 'Project CADMUS'. Where's the money coming from?"

"We're all thinking the same thing" Shayera commented dryly.

"Luthor" Wonder Woman said, spitting his name with venom. Lex had recently regained control of his company LexCorp, before announcing his that he was now running for the President of the United States. At first the League paid little mind, however a red flag was quickly raised as his campaign started to gain serious momentum.

Batman nodded seriously. "He's the obvious suspect. After all, he funded General Hardcastle's rogue operations. But if he is bankrolling CADMUS, he's doing a good job of covering his tracks. I've got the Question looking into it and…" he was suddenly cut off as the rest of the League members, save for Flint groaned in annoyance.

"Not that kook!" Flash said with a whine as Flint rolled his eyes.

"I admit, he's wound a little too tightly…" Batman said in his defense before Flint finished.

"But if anyone is gonna find a connection, no matter how small, it'll be the Question. He figured out I was from another dimension by cross-analysing one of my grains among literal millions of samples worldwide"

Batman nodded as the rest of the League returned their attention to him. "In the meantime, I'll be following the trail on Waller's end"

Superman nodded back in agreement before standing. "It that's all, we have work to do. We all know our stations, let's get to it"

 _-Flashback End-_

Thinking back to the meeting, Flint sighed before shaking his head. He was worrying over nothing. Despite the alarm bells Luthor was raising, at least CADMUS was being quiet. Perhaps too quiet, but none the less quiet. Besides, Question was damn good at his job. He would find something for them.

"Here's hoping. In the meantime, I should just be ready for the eruption"

* * *

In a small and unassuming town in Colorado, there lay what appeared to be an average military base. However, in truth it was the headquarters of CADMUS and inside a boardroom, Amanda Waller had just entered before taking her seat at the head of the table, facing each of the members of her so-called "war council", adamant on addressing the pressing issues one of them presented her.

The first on her council was Professor Emile Hamilton, who was the head of CADMUS' science division as well as being the man responsible for Galatea and the Ultimen. Next was General Wade Eiling, who was in charge of their military applications and tactics. Tala, the one woman on Amanda's council, was the resident mystic, taking care of all magical objects, artifacts, and personnel. Finally, there was Dr. Milo, who while he fell under Hamilton's supervision in the genetics department, his recent failures were the reason for today's meeting.

However, before that issue was addressed, Amanda had several questions regarding the progress reports of various assets. "Galatea will be fully recovered soon, and ready to return to active duty" Hamilton began as Waller nodded.

"And the Doomsday weapon?" she asked, referencing the ultimate weapon that Cadmus had who was made comatose when he was sent into combat against the Justice Lords. In terms of raw power, he was way stronger than Galatea, however he had been locked up in recovery since the fight, being considered comatose.

"Considering the damage done to its frontal lobe, the cellular regeneration has been remarkable. Its EEG's are still flat however. Nonetheless, we're monitoring it closely" the scientists answered.

"Keep me posted. Tala, have you developed a plan to retrieve the armour?" Waller asked, turning to the sorceress. Several months back the Justice League came into possession of an indestructible suit of armour forged by the Greek Gods. CADMUS wanted it, however they needed a way to access it from inside the Watchtower.

"We've come up with some promising scenarios" Tala began. "But they're going to require certain additional resources"

"Fine. See me after so that we can go over the details, as well as finding new members for the squad" she nodded before turning to Eiling. "General, how goes weapons development and training?"

The general nodded before handing a file to Waller. "Most of our man-portable equipment should be able to handle all of the League's non-powered members and some of the metahumans. But for some of the heavy-hitters like the aliens and that Sandman… Well the heavier stuff still has some radiation issues that need to be fixed. I'm not going to send troops out there that are going to die before they even get a shot off. Although, we do have a blueprint for a weapon to divide silicon particles, which should be able to handle the Sandman"

"That reminds me, I have one issue that is still concerning" Hamilton frowns before taking up his papers. "It concerns the disappearance of the Ultimen…"

Waller inwardly groaned; ever since the Ultimen they'd apprehended disappeared from their cells, Hamilton had been obsessed with finding them. Clearly they were given some sort of assistance in this regard, but by who and to what end was not important as far as Waller was concerned.

"At the moments, the Ultimen are a moot point. It seems they've gone to ground, and we know the League hasn't contacted them in any fashion anyway" Waller said before sighing and turning to the last member of the meeting. "And Dr. Milo" she announced, causing the scientist to jump in sudden alarm before becoming deathly silent. Hamilton and Tala both looked with a mixture of worry, frustration, and exasperation with the scientist while Eiling simply looked uninterested. "Splicing together human and animal DNA. How's that coming?"

Milo cleared his throat nervously, shivering in fatigue and fear. He clearly hadn't slept for days. Nor had he taken any sort of care for his own personal hygiene, the dark circles under his eyes almost making look almost like a starving raccoon. "I know what you're thinking" he started nervously. "But my experiments are actually quite close to paying off. I just need a little more time and I promise, I'll have something concrete to show you"

"Oh here we go" Eiling muttered, rolling his eyes as Waller levelled a glare that could cut through steel at the panicking scientist.

"Concrete? Like that super-powered warthog that tore up your lab last week?" she frowned before slamming her fist into the table. "Professor Hamilton's already shown me the remains of your lab assistants. All twelve of them!"

"That… that was just an unfortunate accident" he frowned, sweat pouring off his brow.

"An 'unfortunate accident' might have one or two deaths" Waller continued before raising her voice to a dangerous level. "But your actions have now raised the death total in your department to sixty-four! It should never have reached double digits!" She spat, causing Hamilton and Tala to watch in fear before she collected herself and took a deep breath. "Doctor, I am not know for my sense of humour, but I can see a sick joke when I'm looking him in the face. In light of the lack of results and unnecessary deaths as a result of your work, I'm pulling your funding"

Milo's eyes finally opened wide, clearly bloodshot and staring at Waller in shock and horror as she continued.

"In accordance with the Technological Clearances Act, we'll set you up in a new, non-vital capacity and confiscate your research" Waller said before taking on a grim yet satisfied smile. "Be lucky you're not being sent to prison or shot. Now, get out!"

Milo swiftly took the hint, picking up his papers before hurrying from the room and frowning. With the conversation replaying over in his head, he levelled his own glare, plotting his revenge.

* * *

Thanks to his knowledge of the base and his previous work experience, Milo knew just where to go to find a weapon dangerous enough to exact his revenge. So he found the most dangerous one he could. Using his key card, we entered into a room where there was a single cell. Inside, Doomsday was kept locked in by restraints that not even his strength could break through. The ten foot, grey behemoth towered over the scientist. His bone spikes only added to his hulking figure, with his mottled gray skin and unkempt hair giving him a bestial gait. His only clothing was the dark green shorts and boots he had on when he was first restrained.

Despite the impressive size of the monster, Milo showed no fear. Through the drive of both his own madness and the necessity in his mind for revenge, he approached the monster. Officially, Doomsday had been pronounced brain dead, however Milo wasn't convinced. After taking a steady breath he spoke.

"I know you're faking" he began before looking at a computer that measured the monster's vital signs. "The lobotomized portion of your brain has completely regrown"

After a moment, Doomsday opened his eyes.

"Do you remember anything from before?" he asked, before taking the silence as a reason to continue. "That's all right. I'll show you. You've been used, you deserve to know" he said before turning on one of the nearby screens and showing a visual history of Doomsday's life.

"You see, you were created from a sample of Superman's genetic material. However, your DNA was altered to make you his superior. And then you were trained to hate him. You were conditioned humiliated repeatedly injured…" he continued, showing a history of the monsters repeated injuries during his time in the CADMUS labs. "But not by Superman"

Milo then paused the feed to focus on the image behind the glass in the video. "No, it was done by Amanda Waller and Emile Hamilton" he scowled before resuming the visual history. "When you became uncontrollable, they tried to dispose of you. They put you in a rocket and launched you into space, but you were too strong. Your struggles threw the rocket off-course… and it came back down to earth" he said before ending the video. "When you landed, you fought a different Superman; one from a parallel timeline. He lobotomized you"

The monster remained silent for a moment, before speaking in a voice that was deep and raspy, a gravelly quality to it. " **Superman** "

"Yes, good" Milo nodded. "But he isn't your enemy, your hatred of him was manufactured, manipulated. At every turn, Waller and Hamilton abused and betrayed you, just as they betrayed me! Don't we both deserve retribution?"

Doomsday stared at the man in a cold fashion, any trace of thought or emotion undetectable. " **Yes. Release me.** "

"And you'll solve both our problems?"

" **Yes** "

With a manic grin and massive lapse in judgement, Milo typed a long sequenced of numeric codes into the computer. After a minute, a low his was heard as air escaped the chamber, the restraints were opened, and Doomsday stepped forward. Without wasting a second, the monster immediately approached the now panicking scientist.

"What are you…?"

" **Your problem's solved** " the monster growled, grasping trhe screaming scientist by the head. In his last moments, Milo regretted everything he had just done, praying that there was some way to stop this monster.

Doomsday exited the room soon after, alarms blaring as he shrugged off the massive barrage of weapons being fired at him by several CADMUS soldiers. He paid them little mind, already having an objective to be completed.

" **Now for Superman** "

The behemoth tore his way through the CAMDUS base as he approached a rocket the scientists kept on hand. Thanks to his faked coma, he heard a great deal of information; including the League's current whereabouts. After punching in coordinates for San Baquero, he entered the rocket before it took off.

* * *

Waller was just sitting down behind her desk with a glass of her favourite brandy. After meetings like these, she relished the opportunity to relax and take it easy. This was soon interrupted by a soldier rushing into her office and saluting her.

"What's going on?" she demanded as alarms suddenly blared throughout the base.

"Ma'am, Doomsday's escaped!" the soldier cried in alarm as Waller stared at him in shock. Who in the base would have been crazy enough to…?

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks as she growled, slamming both fists into her desk. "Milo. I'll have his hide for this!"

At her statement, the soldier took on a sickly green complexion. "Doomsday beat you to it ma'am"

* * *

Despite how well the evacuation was moving, the volcano was still an imminent threat, and Flint's berms were only a last line of defense should it erupt prematurely. As such, Superman was currently inside the volcano, punching tunnels through the rock to divert the lava harmlessly away from the beach. With all of his headway, he was optimistic that these tunnels could potentially remove the danger altogether.

Finishing another tunnel, he found himself in a large cavern inside the mountain, with a small pool of magma bubbling below him. Just as he was about to leave and continue his tunneling, a rocket burst through the wall before crashing into the magma pool. Superman looked at the craft in confusion before the door was torn off, and out stepped a large grey monster, trudging through the lava similarly unharmed as he approached the man of steel.

" **Superman** " Doomsday bellowed with a smirk. " **I'm here to kill you. Is this a bad time?** "

Superman braced himself as the large monster roared and charged right at him. He attempting to fly away to safety but the monster was too quick, tackling him into the wall of the cavern before they both tumbled into the lava below. His hand clutched the hero's throat tight as he let loose a fierce barrage of punches before Superman finally used both his feet to kick the monster away and stand up. With a grunt he used his heat vision to cut a large chunk of rock from the ceiling which dropped onto Doomsday.

Doomsday however, caught the large boulder, holding it above his head with a growl. " **I remember… those eyes** "

He tossed the boulder aside before attacking Superman again, punching him in the face as the bone spikes on his knuckles mercilessly assaulted his eyes, effectively blinding him before he could heal. " **Let's see you do that again** "

Superman blinked slowly, his vision returning before Doomsday sucker-punched him again to knock him aside. He then raised two arms above his head, but Superman was quick enough to dodge to the side, and give a punch of his own, knocking Doomsday into the base of an overhanging ledge.

"I know who you are" the man of steel panted. "But I'm not the one who hurt you"

" **Superman is Superman** " Doomsday scowled in a threatening tone, as he stood up again, his full height towering in an imposing figure. " **And I will kill you** "

"Why?" he asked.

" **It's what I am. I don't care why** "

After staring at each other for a brief moment they each charged again.

* * *

Back in CADMUS headquarters, the entire staff was in a state of confusion and alarm as Waller continued to glower. Doomsday's escape wasn't just a problem for them, it could potentially be a world ending disaster. Eiling entered into her office, holding a sheet of paper with coordinates. "GPS puts the stolen rocket smack-dab on San Baquero" he said, looking at Waller and saluting. "Doomsday went right back after Superman. I love a well-conditioned soldier"

Waller rolled her eyes in response. "And what will your soldier do after he's killed Superman? We can't leave him loose. For all we know, he'll try to kill everyone on the planet! He has to be stopped _before_ he leaves that island" she declared as Eiling looked at her in exasperation.

"But how am I supposed to…"

"I don't care! Get it done!" Waller finished before storming out to have another stiff drink.

One she left, Eiling groaned before taking out a phone and dialing a secure number. One he got his answer he wasted no time. "This is Eiling; authorization, Firewall"

At his command, somewhere in the mid-Atlantic, a submarine received his orders before surfacing in the water and confirmed the coordinates. Once they were locked on, it launched a nuclear missile straight for San Baquero. A nuclear missile laced with Kryptonite.

* * *

Back with evacuation, the final transport was just being boarded as Wonder Woman arrived with another ambulance. She reached a hand to her comlink to check with the others as the last of the League loaded the transport.

"Flint what's the status on the berm?"

"It's about twenty feet tall and really damn solid. I should be good to come back and finish up the evacuation now" he replied.

"Perfect, come over as soon as you can. Superman, what's your status?" she asked before frowning as Superman answered her.

"Ugh! Something's come up!" he replied, straining his voice, almost like he was fighting someone.

Wonder Woman frowned at this, but paid little heed. If anything, Superman could handle it.

As it turns out, he could not.

Everything he threw at the indestructible monster did nothing but anger it, and he was being matched blow for blow at every turn. Thanks to Doomsday's ruthless assault and the magma below him, his costume was torn to shreds, with bruised littering his body. A gash on his face was left from one of Doomsday's prior hits, blood slowly pouring out as he rose to his feet again to knock the monster back into the magma.

* * *

"Another transport just landed on the mainland. That only leaves one, then they're finished" Batman read off a monitor as J'onn nodded before checking another.

Suddenly, the sensors sounded off an alarm as J'onn examined the reading curiously. He suddenly looked to Batman in alarm. "I don't believe it. It's a nuclear missile, headed straight for San Baquero!"

Batman rushed over before double checking the readings. "According to the spectrograph, its warhead is lined with Kryptonite!"

"Who would have fired it?" the Martian asked before typing something into the computer as Batman narrowed his eyes and grabbed a nearby phone. He had a call to make.

* * *

Waller was reclined in her chair behind her desk. Her second glass of brandy half gone as her brows furrowed. This day was quickly becoming a disaster for the entire department. Suddenly, a phone on her desk started to ring. She knew only one person who would have access to it, so she immediately set the glass aside before answering.

"Yes Mister President?" she greeted in a calm voice.

"Call off the missile" a gruff voice responded as she froze. Only the president had access to this number and phone line, so how did he get it?

"How did you get this num..."

"The missile heading for San Baquero!" Batman interrupted, cutting her off as she once again was left shocked. "If anyone dies on that island today, I'm coming for you"

"You do what you have to, and so will I" she answered in a stern voice before hanging up and she closed her eyes tight and clenched her fists. When her eyes, opened, the marched straight out before throwing open the door to the war room. "EILING!"

* * *

Batman hung up suddenly before looking to J'onn. "She didn't know"

"Captain Atom is on his way from Southern California now"" he nodded as the dark knight frowned.

"He won't make it. Someone from the island will have to intercept the missile in time if we hope to stop it. Is there anyone free?" he asked as the Martian thought for a moment.

"Sandman finished the berm a few minutes ago and had just joined in the evacuation efforts. He could potentially make it out into the ocean in time to stop the missile" he surmised.

"Better hurry then. We don't have much time" Batman finalized as the Martian nodded and started patching through to Flint.

* * *

"What were you thinking?!" Waller demanded to the aging general as Hamilton and Tala very quickly made their escape from her tirade. "You're going to kill Superman and everyone else on that island!"

Eiling frowned before looking at her impassively. "We have to sanction Doomsday, we were going to get Superman somewhere down the line, and we've been trying to stop drug traffic from San Baquero for years. The way I see it, three birds, one stone"

She levelled a glare at him as she folded her arms. "Call it off"

The general shrugged in response. "Anti-abort safeties are already engaged. I couldn't stop it even if I wanted to"

She stared at him for a moment before turning to look at the map on the computer that tracked the flight path of the missile as it rapidly approached the island. She grimaced at the thought of what would happen if it weren't stopped.

'The Justice League better stop this…' she thought with a frown.

* * *

From back on the island, Flint was just helping to carve a path for more people before he received a call from J'onn. "Flint, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, how can I help you J'onn?" he asked.

"There's a missile with a Kryptonite warhead heading for your position" he answered.

Flint froze for a moment. "There's… a missile… with Kryptonite… heading for the island?" he repeated in shock.

"Yes. We're going to need you to stop it before it reaches the island"

He inwardly grimaced before looking at Diana and coming up with a quick plan. "Hey Diana, can you hold down the fort here?"

"Of course Flint, why?" she asked as Flash moved another person to safety in the background before coming back to listen.

"Because there's a missile headed this way and J'onn needs me to stop it before it reaches the island" he answers, leaving both of them in shock. "Don't tell Z I'm going until I get back" he asked before disappearing into the beach and heading out through the sand to travel across the ocean floor to intercept the missile.

"Wait what?" she questioned before she pressed her com. "J'onn you sent Flint to stop a missile?!"

"He did what?" Zatanna's voice screeched from the same line. She had been helping with getting the evacuees off the transport on the mainland and needless to say, she was more than a little angered by that.

"I had to. Captain Atom wouldn't have reached it in time, and Superman is in danger form the Kryptonite in it" the Martian answered as Wonder Woman's eyes widened in realisation.

"Superman… the missile is meant for him!" she frowned before flying off to find him. "Flash you finish up here, I'm going back for Superman!"

"But…"

"Do it now!" she cut the speedster off before soaring towards the volcano.

* * *

Just as Flash rounded the last of the people onto the boat, the volcano finally erupted, spewing forth lava that was thankfully diverted by Superman's tunnels and Flint's berms. However, neither the man of steel nor his opponent noticed, as they were too busy continuing their clash. They had been exchanging blows for the better part of an hour, and both were looking fairly weathered by the whole ordeal. However, it was obvious that Superman wasn't doing nearly as well as Doomsday was.

Doomsday grasped his throat again, attempting to choke him before Superman let loose a point blank shot of heat vision straight for Doomsday's forehead, sending the monster stumbling backwards. However, he quickly retaliated by punching Superman in the ribs.

" **Ah ah ah** " he said in a mocking tone. " **Can't beat me the same way twice** "

Superman slowly picked himself up again before smirking. "Guess I'll need a bigger fire" he decided before giving one last staggering punch right to Doomsday's jaw. The monster was stunned long enough for Superman to lift him up and toss him right into the path of an erupting jet of magma. With the last of his energy spent however, Superman collapsed backwards, unable to move out of the way of the approaching magma himself.

Thankfully, he didn't have to as Wonder Woman flew in to pull him out of the volcano just in time.

* * *

'Alright Flint, you were just evacuating an island from a volcano and now you have to stop a nuclear missile from impacting and killing your friends with nothing but a bunch of sand… oh and Z is gonna be beyond pissed at you for this' he thought with a from before forming his whole body far on the ocean floor a kilometer ahead of the missile. 'Wonder if I can peg the blame on J'onn for that one?'

With the missile fast approaching he took a moment to collect himself. 'Relax, it's just like normal. Just make one massive pillar' he told himself before concentrating as much power as he could, blasting a massive pillar of sand out from the waves, and colliding it with the missile harmlessly.

'Oh man I did it!' he cheered inwardly before heading back to the island, where he reappeared on the beach. "That was crazy" he breathed with a laugh.

"Ah-hem!" a familiar voice called as Flint turned to see an angry Zatanna with a sheepish Flash behind her.

"She made me bring her here" he answered weakly as the magician marched right up to him.

"You are in such trouble" she started. "And once J'onn brings us back on the Watchtower I'll give him a piece of my mind too!"

Flint stared at her for a moment before giving a weak chuckle "Is this better or worse than the time with Amazo?"

* * *

After the eruption had subsided, the League returned to San Baquero to search for any sign of CADMUS' involvement with the missile. Instead they found Doomsday. He had managed to survive the eruption, but was currently sealed inside a mass of hardened lava so thick he couldn't break his way out. Two days later, the founding members, aside from Batman, and Flint all sat in front of the artificial monster, as they started questioning him.

"Did CAMDUS create you?" Superman asked, having since recovered from his injuries following their fight. Doomsday said nothing, choosing instead to glower at them from his prison. Superman sighed before looking to the Martian. "J'onn?"

His eyes glowed for a moment before he frowned. "I can't read his mind. His brain's been altered to be immune to my methods" he answered before Superman looked back at the monster.

"You don't owe anything to them. They manipulated you, and tried to kill you"

Doomsday finally answered, in a patronizing tone. " **So I keep hearing** "

"From who?" Flint asked, folding his arms,

" **All you need to know is that I will get free… and I WILL kill you… all of you** "

Superman sighed before pulling a strange-looking device forward. It looked almost like a vacuum cleaner mixed with a film projector. "If that's your final word. I only use this as a last resort. It's going to send you to another dimension. You won't be hurt… but you also won't hurt anyone else again"

Doomsday simply glared at him. " **You'll wish you'd killed me** "

With a nod, Superman activated the Phantom-Zone projector before sending Doomsday to the Kryptonian prison dimension. Afterwards, the rest of the League left, with Superman, Wonder Woman, and Sandman walking down the hall and meeting Batman. Batman stared at the three of them before focusing on Superman. "You sent him off to the Phantom Zone, didn't you?"

"He left us no choice" Superman frowned.

"Spoken like a true Justice Lord"

Superman suddenly stared at Batman in shock as Flint and Diana exchanged worried glances. "What?!" the man of steel demanded.

"Passing judgement like gods? With our super-powered army and our orbiting death ray? CADMUS is right to be scared. The human race wouldn't stand a chance" the detective continued.

"We'd never go there" Wonder Woman suddenly cut in. "It isn't in our nature and nothing can change that"

"Nothing?" Batman frowned. "What if Luthor does become president, like he did in their world? What would stop you from killing him, just like that Superman Did?"

Superman shrugged nonchalantly. "There's always that Kryptonite you carry around"

"You don't get to joke!" Batman suddenly growled out. This whole time, Flint had been listening to the two of them, frowning as memories came flooding back. Memories of something that happened not too long ago in his world... and he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Would you two just cool it already? God, this is the Civil War all over again!" he shouted, startling all three heroes as they suddenly looked at him in curiosity.

"Civil War?" Wonder Woman questioned as Batman narrowed his eyes suddenly.

Flint grimaced before nodding nervously. "Yeah… Civil War. Back in my world, the same thing happened. Our heroes were called into question… al because one supervillain blew up in a residential neighbourhood killing six hundred. It wasn't our heroes fault, we didn't cause this. He did. But our government turned against us quickly" he began as the others listened intently.

"A new law was suddenly passed. Heroes had to reveal their identities to the government or else be arrested for even using their powers, or fighting crime. They had to be registered officers at the beck and call of one person. Can you imagine what happens when one person calls all the shots?" he continued as Batman narrowed his eyes at this information. "Just like that, the hero community was split down the middle; a billionaire thinking the people are right to be scared on one side…" he stated, looking at Batman. "And a super-powered symbol of hope and freedom on the other" he finished, looking at a now sheepish Superman. "The government turning the heroes against each other through fear… sound familiar?"

All three were suddenly left to ponder their own thoughts as Flint walked off, clearly upset with having to face the memories of that time again. After a long moment of quiet, Superman finally cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry Bruce. You're right. But you don't have to worry about the Justice League. Trust me… you know me"

Batman looked at him for a moment before giving a small nod. "Yeah I do"

"Come on" Wonder Woman added. "We've got plenty of stuff to worry about with the cleanup on San Baquero now" she said as the three walked off.

* * *

 **And boom! Another chapter done!**

 **This episode kicked all kinds of ass, and it moved the plot forwards as well, so it's doubly awesome!**

 **And yes, the threat of the superhero Civil War still looms over Flint's head. Sure it ended, but it almost happened again. That CADMUS is just a whole whack of trouble.**

 **Next time, the magical world is turned on it's head. Turns out you can't just take over hell no problem. And just for Jestalnaker94000, taking over hell has some serious consequences; the Rider is coming!**

 **Ciao for now!  
**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	17. The Balance and The Endless Dream

**Surprise another chapter!**

 **I guarantee I wrote this purely due to how much it excited me. This was an idea I had since the beginning and I've wanted to finally be able to write it. As another little heads up, the CAMDUS arc will be ending soon. I should think about eight or nine more chapters. After that... the Legion of Doom!**

 **Thanks again to all the fantastic questions you guys have sent in. It's always amazing to hear what you have to say, so let's answer a few:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: I honestly don't know if that's ever addressed. Do the League even know Doomsday was cloned from Superman? I think he just sort of was assumed to be an experiment and that's it. I hope you enjoy this chapter by the way, after all it has your character.**

 **GodSwampThing: It is really cool. And I'll be exploring it here too!**

 **Sgt. M00re: Oh he will.**

 **Nicochan11: Two of those are definitely correct. Better yet, they'll join the League too... but that's for another time...**

 **Lucian Naruto: That is a very well thought out opinion on Hamilton you got there. And I agree. He is a whiny, manipulative, self-serving, hypocritical, bitch bag of a weasel if I ever saw one. As for your choice of punishment... not nearly as cold as what I have in store for him. Just you wait. On an unrelated note, I think this is the longest review I've gotten thus far. Kudos to you man!**

 **MoonWolfAtlantis: Maybe at some point.**

 **As a special bonus, I hid four references in this chapter when I talk about the other names of the Presence. If you can name where I got each of them, that will be the fucking greatest thing ever because I pulled these from everywhere (And as a hint, no The One Above All is not one of them).**

 **Anyways, Disclaimer: Sandman, Ghost Rider, and all related characters are property of Marvel and Disney. The Justice League, Endless, and all other related characters are property of DC Comics. I own nothing.**

 **Now, onto the chapter!**

* * *

Inside a pocket dimension, unseen to the naked eye, there exists a magical house known as the House of Mystery. While normally under the care of two brothers named Cain and Abel, it was often resided by John Constantine. Constantine was a full Brit, every bit a stubborn jackass, and self-serving to boot. However he was a reserve member of the Justice League, an important figure in the magical world at large, as well as the occasional friend of Zatanna and Jason Blood.

And right now, he had a problem.

A few days ago, he heard a rumour from a couple of demons about someone attempting to usurp the throne of the underworld from Hades. He didn't pay much attention to this at first, but the more he thought about it, the more red flags it raised. If someone else took over the underworld, the resulting magical backlash could be catastrophic, so he immediately poured over the texts in the House of Mystery, but he found himself coming up short. He needed the help of someone else.

"Cain I'm stepping out, mind the place while I'm gone would you?" the Brit said as he pulled on his trench coat. At the sound of his voice, a man with brown hair curled on the ends, small golden spectacles, and a pointed beard faded into view in the room.

"Giving our house back so soon? That's unnaturally kind of you" the immortal sneered.

"There's something I need to investigate, before it bites us all in the arse. Don't be a prick about it" John responded plainly before disappearing himself and appearing in front of the fortune telling shop of one Madame Xanadu.

Xanadu was an on again, off again lover of Jason Blood as well as an important mystic in the magical community. She could see the future, and that was what John needed.

He looked at her door before stepping in, shaking off some of the rain from outside as she came out to meet him.

"John Constantine, to what do I owe this displeasure of seeing you?" she asked in a resigned and dry tone. The Brit looked at her dead serious, any sign of his normal devil may care attitude missing, startling the sorceress.

"I heard through the grapevine from some demons that there's going to be a takeover in the underworld. I need to know who it is. We could all be in trouble if it's too late"

She stared at him for a moment before nodding and leading him into a back room where she kept her tarot cards and crystal ball. "I noticed a sign in the cards of trouble stirring, but I hadn't anticipated something of that magnitude" she frowned before sitting at her table as she placed her hands over the ball and her eyes glowed green.

"What do you see?" he asked, lighting a cigarette and taking a quick drag.

"I see… Tala" she started, giving Constantine pause. Tala was an odd figure, neither a hero nor a villain. Her allegiance lay with whoever she required. She was also a former student of Felix Faust.

"What else?"

She focused harder before staring further. "I see Faust… his soul has escaped the mirror… he's taken possession of the Annihilator!" she said in sudden alarm as John dropped his cigarette.

"How much time do we have?" he asks worriedly as the image of a flaming skull passed over the ball before Xanadu's eyes returned to normal. She panted heavily before looking at him with fear.

"None…" she whispered before immediately seizing. Her body writhed in pain as she screamed in agony.

"Xanadu? What's happening?" he asked before grasping his own chest in pain. "Ah! God blimey, what the friggen' 'ell is goin' on!"

The takeover was a success, and the magical backlash raced around the world quickly, attacking all sorcerers in its wake.

But it didn't stop in this universe.

* * *

Steven Strange was violently awoken, clutching his head in pain as he felt massive waves of magical energy assaulting the defenses of the Sanctum Sanctorum. "What in the world?" he wondered before moving into his library, only to find Wong and Clea writhing in pain.

"What sorcery is this?" he asked, still grasping his head as his own magic fought against this mysterious energy.

"Steven, someone is attacking us through our magic! Can't you feel it?" Clea asked as he nodded.

"I do… I must see if anyone else is under this assault. We'll need assistance in this matter" he frowned before approaching the Orb of Agamatto and looking into it to search for anyone else affected. What he found made him frown in worry. Brother Voodoo and Ian McNee were both fallen, Satana and Damian Hellstrom were attempting to channel their own demonic energy to protect themselves before falling, Scarlet Witch writhed and fired hex bolts haphazardly as her fellow avengers tried to help her, and Forge and Magik were caught mid battle against the Juggernaut, all three being subject to this affliction.

It wasn't just adults either. Nico Minoru and Wiccan at the Avengers academy were fallen to this affliction as well, the latter being held gingerly by Hulkling as his fellow Young Avengers attempted to help him.

Not even Victor Von Doom could stop the magical barrage that assaulted him.

"I need someone else… perhaps Kent… Nelson…" he groaned as the pain became too much.

In his final moments of consciousness before he too fell to the magical attack, Steven could only frown in confusion as to why a fourteen year old girl in New York was affected as well…

Keemia Marko was not, as far as he knew, a sorceress.

* * *

Sensing a sudden disturbance throughout the realm of magic, the spirit recognized the tampering immediately. The other world had its own justice, but the perpetrator for this had hurt another world as well. His meddling had thrown two entire universes into disarray. Just this once, the Spectre would have to stand aside and let him complete his required duty.

The Ghost Rider mounted his bike before conjuring a portal of hellfire. It was time for the spirit of vengeance to visit Felix Faust.

* * *

Moments before this, Flint and Zatanna had just walked into the cafeteria on the Watchtower. Both had returned from a minor bank heist in Midway City and had decided to take their lunch breaks early before anything else crazy decided to happen. They both sat at a table as Flint shrugged.

"Look all I'm saying is that the Rogues should stick to Central City. Flash can handle them on his own, why do we need to get involved?" he groaned as she gave a chuckle.

"Come on Flint, relax. It wasn't that bad" she retorted, taking a bite of her pasta salad.

"Hey that's because you don't have to deal with Weather Wizard blowing tiny portions of your body everywhere" He frowned, rolling his eyes, as he thought back to how the weather controlling villain blew his grains all across the street. Thank goodness for the fact that he could reform his body quickly.

In any case, there was something pressing on his mind that he was wanting to ask for a while. That being, he wanted to ask Zatanna to make their relationship official.

With the amount of nervousness he was feeling, he honestly would have preferred fighting the Rogues again.

"Hey, Zee… there's been something I've been meaning to ask you" he started nervously.

"Hm? What is it Flint?" she asked with a soft smile.

"Well… we've been seeing each other for a while but…"

"But?"

"I just wanted to know if you'd like to make it official… you know, make us official?" he asked.

She gave a soft smile in return and opened her mouth to speak, before something suddenly seized her. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fell backwards out of her chair, writhing and seizing on the floor as she started screaming in agony.

"Z? Z what's the matter?" Flint asked in worry as he went to her side quickly. However, he found that she wasn't alone. Across the room, Jason Blood was violently shifting back and forth from Jason into Etrigan, as he too was victim to the same agony. Even Dr. Fate found himself under attack, with Martian Manhunter attempting to keep him stable.

Just what the hell was going on here?

* * *

The magicians had ceased their convulsions and were currently laying in beds in the Watchtower's medical ward, unconscious in almost coma-like states as Batman read the readings on their vitals.

"So what is it Bats?"

The detective frowned before looking up. "I think Diana may be onto something"

"What? What's Diana got to do with this?" Flint asked in confusion.

"According to her mother, Felix Faust took possession of the Annihilator armour stolen from the Watchtower last week. He used it to overthrow Hades and is currently ruling on the throne of the Underworld" Batman answered as Flint's eyes widened in shock. The armour was stolen from them by a group of disguised villains the week before. Flint remembered the encounter well.

Especially the wall he punched Captain Boomerang through.

"So what happened to our magicians?"

"The resulting magical backlash from Faust's takeover is what caused this. And it's not just them"

"Don't tell me it's every other mystic in the world" Flash frowned in worry.

"Constantine, Xanadu, Klarion, Doctor Occult, even Wotan. All of them are reported to have been found in the same states as these three here. Reports indicate that no mystic was left unharmed by this"

"Then how do we stop it?" Flint asked impatiently.

"Diana already left with Shayera to stop Faust. Her Nth metal mace will be able to disrupt Faust's magic so that they can dethrone him" Batman nodded as Flash blanched.

"They went together? Are you aware of how much Diana still hates her?" he asked rhetorically as Batman ignored him.

"I'm going to do some research and see if there's anything we can do. In the meantime, Flint could you stay here and watch them?"

Flint looked through the window of the room, focusing on Zatanna before nodding. "Yeah I can"

The detective nodded before leaving with Flash as Flint walked in, taking a seat next to Zatanna's bed. He sighed, rubbing his hands down his face as he looked back at her. "Why does this stuff always have to happen at the worst of times?" he asked no one in particular as he leaned back in his chair.

"My brother would say it is just destiny… but then again, he is rather adamant of the prowess of his domain" a mysterious voice called as Flint suddenly snapped to attention, seeing a pale individual, with mussed up black hair, and a very gaunt frame, wearing a long grey cloak. The most curious part was his eyes, which were pitch black, so sign of a pupil or iris. "I must admit however, you are the most curious person to share my moniker that I've met"

Flint stared at the figure before standing up, one of his hands forming into a large sandy mallet as he stood his ground. He wasn't sure whether or not this new presence was a threat, but he wasn't going to take any chances. "And just who the hell are you?"

"I am known as Morpheus… the Endless Dream"

* * *

"Morpheus? You mean… like the..?"

"Sandman, yes" Morpheus nodded.

"Alright, that answers who but… what exactly are you?"

"I am one of the seven siblings of the Endless" he answered, Flint looing even more confused.

"The Endless?"

"Yes. In this realm, and in fact all other realms, there exist seven entities. They include myself, and my siblings; Destruction, Destiny, Delirium, Despair, Desire, and Death" he answered. "We watch over and possess the limitless power of our domains, having power over all sentient life"

"Death huh?" he asked. "She happen to be a skeleton in a robe?"

"No… she is not the same Death that you are aware of" Morpheus chuckled.

"But you said you exist in all realms"

"All realms within this multiverse" he corrected as Flint sat down.

"Could you explain a little more… please?"

"Certainly. Now, the world you came from as well as this one, exist as part of the greater multiverse, however, they are themselves parts of their own multiverse. Each has infinite realities and parallel worlds, however there is a divide. Your world is part of a multiverse watched over by the Living Tribunal, and ruled by various cosmic entities you would be more familiar with. While multiversal beings, the divide stops them from leaving their own multiverse. This multiverse has its own cosmic entities… such as myself"

"So each multiverse is part of a larger multiverse?"

"Exactly"

Flint pondered this for a moment. "So, all of the different entities only exist in their own multiverse, is there anything that's part of all of them?"

"Yes, one being. You saw him before"

"I did? Where?"

"When you chased David Clinton" Morpheus answered, referencing the Justice League's pursuit of the mad time traveller Chronos. "In fact that is where I and my siblings saw you for the first time"

"So when we saw the start of the universe, we saw the start of every universe?"

"That is correct"

Faced with this information, Flint said the most intelligent response he could muster. "Damn"

"Indeed"

"So that hand… was God?"

"In this world, he is called the Presence, in yours he is The One Above All. He has many names in other worlds; Lord Helix, Flying Spaghetti Monster, Lunar Bear, God Entity… but yes. He is as you said"

Once again, he leaned back starting to process the information. "So… why are you here?"

The Endless dream laughed lightly. "Two reasons. Because I was curious about the one who I share a moniker with… and to warn you"

"Warn me… of what?"

"I cannot say much, but I can tell you this; an enemy is conspiring against you, and your very life is in danger. In fact, the fate of both your universes is in danger"

"So what am I supposed to do?" he asked in exasperation.

"Again I cannot say. But there is one more thing I must add"

"That being?"

"The Endless may rule this realm, but they cannot utilise their powers outside of their own responsibility. Because of this, we require a vessel to help siphon our excess power"

"You're not gonna give this to me are you?" he asked in worry, before the entity shook his head.

"No… you do not possess the ability to manipulate magic… but Keemia does"

"Keemia… you mean…?"

"Yes I do Flint Marko. Now, I must be gone. I have responsibilities to uphold in the realm of the dreaming, so my curiosity of you must be reined in for now"

"Please tell me none of your other siblings are gonna be interested in me"

He simply gave another smile. "My sister is certainly interested in you… if only for how you will elude her" he answered before fading away. Suddenly, and without warning, Flint sat bolt upright, waking up back in the medical bay.

"Wh-What the? Was… was it a dream?" he asked before remembering everything. "Of course it was that's his whole shtick. It had to have been just a dream. Lousy cosmic abstracts" he muttered before stretching stiffly and looking at the clock.

"It's almost four-thirty? Damn, I've been sleeping for two hours" he frowned before looking back at the beds. Zatanna and the others continued to rest as Flint sighed, leaning back down. "Well, back to waiting. Howe much longer will Diana and Shayera be I wonder?" he mused out loud.

* * *

Another half hour passed, and Flint currently sat, still frowning. Batman came in to check on them a few minutes prior, and despite offering to take over, Flint was adamant in staying here himself. He wanted to make sure Z was okay when she woke up, and he wanted to be there when she did.

He looked at her sleeping figure before sighing, and brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "Come on Z… you're stronger than this" he whispered before holding her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

He lost track of just how long he sat that way until he felt her return the squeeze, feebly at first, but it eventually grew stronger.

"Z?" he asked, looking up into her tired, yet softly-smiling face.

"Who else?" she laughed a he gave a weak smile before hugging her.

"I've been worried sick about you! How are you feeling, still a little sore?"

"Not as much, feels more like a bad hangover." She shrugged before frowning. "What happened to us anyway?"

"Oh you know, Felix Faust took over the Underworld. The usual stuff" he shrugged before she gave him a snide laugh.

"That sounds about right" she nodded, as the other magicians in the med bay started to come to. A few minutes later, Batman was back and running diagnostics on all of them.

"I take it Wonder Woman and Shayera were successful then Bats?"

"Yes they were. They had assistance from Hades, and were swift in their defeat of Faust" the dark knight answered as Zatanna looked at him curiously.

"So what happened to that crotchety old wizard anyway?"

"Not sure… but it appears as though he's disappeared… for now" Batman answered before walking towards the door. "As soon as you're ready, you'll be able to leave. However, you'll be off active duty for another few days just to recover"

Once he left, Flint smirked and crossed his arms. "Getting a free vacation eh? Maybe I should look into being attacked by megalomaniacal wizards" he jokes before she gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Shut up" she laughed before remembering something. "You know I never answered your question earlier" she smirked, causing Flint to suddenly take on a faint blush.

"Look Z, if you need time to think about it I.."

"No no, it's fine. I already have my answer"

"You do?"

"I do" she nodded before kissing him tenderly. "It's yes"

He blinked briefly before he took on a small grin of his own. "Huh. Well what do you know?"

* * *

"Brother I don't know why you ever doubted this. Their love is so obvious" a sultry male voice drawled as Morpheus shook his head.

"Not everyone can see desire like you do brother" he retorted before Death tilted her head curiously.

"I see such great things in store for them later. So many adventures"

"So many perils" Destiny cut in, as Destruction laughed.

"I just want his kid to hurry up and find out about us. You saw her in the future. She's a natural with my hammer"

"I wouldn't be so sure. I don't think I'm meant to be spread any more than I already have been" Despair muttered sadly before slouching.

"Now now, it's not all bad. She'll do an excellent job" Death assured her before staring at their last sister. "Isn't that right Delirium?"

Delirium stared blankly before turning to face the rest of her family. "I like sand"

* * *

Steven Strange woke up with a jolt, looking around his library as Wong and Clea slowly came to as well. "Has it passed Steven?" she asked weakly before he went to the orb and looked into it intently.

After a few minutes, he breathed a sigh of relief before nodding. "It has. But we must take great care if this is to be avoided in the future"

"What do you intend to do Doctor?" Wong asked curiously.

"I must speak to Kent Nelson. Perhaps our two worlds will find some sort of way to keep the balance" he answered before conjuring an image of the helmet of Nabu.

* * *

Cain was just enjoying himself in the House of Mystery before the front door was thrown open and Constantine stumbled back inside. "Oh joy… you've returned" he grimaced snidely as the Brit smirked. "How was your writhing in agony?"

"Quiet you, not everyone was as fortunate as to be in here before the wave struck. Trust me bloke, it ain't fun, and if you were outside you'd have felt it too!" Constantine retorted before lighting a cigarette.

The immortal sighed before standing up. "Well if you've returned, I suppose I shall return to my brother's house. We have our own duties to attend to you know"

"Yeah you do that. In the meantime, Imma have a stiff drink" he decided before entering into the next room.

* * *

In the wake of his defeat, Felix Faust's spirit had been banished from the armour. Without anything suitable to inhabit, his spectral form was simply wandering the world, searching out somewhere he could seek shelter.

"Blast that infernal Justice League I was so close!" he seethed before a booming voice called out.

"Felix Faust…" the voice echoes as the spirit glared.

"Who dares?!"

A pair of green eyes stared at him from the dark before the image of the Spectre faded into view. The disembodied sorcerer took a step back in horror at the sight of the malignant spirit of justice.

"S-stay back! I'm warning you!" he declared as the Spectre gave a mirthless laugh.

"Do you really believe yourself above such beings as myself that you have any power in our presence?" the spirit mocked. "For your crimes, it is time you face your punishment.

"Stay your hand Corrigan" another voice called, as a figure in a blue cloak, suit, and fedora appeared alongside the Spectre. "He shall face justice outside of your own"

"Ah, the wayward Phantom Stranger… come to vex me again have you?" the Spectre sneered. "What business have you here? I am simply dispensing worthy justice upon a sinner. Surely you understand that, don't you Iscariot?"

The Stranger merely shook his head. "Make no mistake old friend, at any other moment I would allow you to continue… but Faust's harm exceeded this world. He must therefore face judgement from another before your own"

The Spectre stared at his counterpart curiously for a moment, intrigued by his words. "Another? Just who is it that must come to judge him?"

"The Spirit of Vengeance" the Stranger answered before a swirling vortex of flames appeared and a flaming motorbike raced through. Its rider wore black leather, with a chain wrapped around their torso and a flaming skull in place of their head.

"Felix Faust" the new arrival called out, his voice raspy and sinister.

"Who are you?" the sorcerer asked curiously as the rider dismounted their bike and walked slowly towards him.

"I am the Ghost Rider… the Spirit of vengeance… and before you are given to the Spectre for his justice you must faces the fires of my own"

"No… No I won't let you!" he yelled defiantly before the Rider shot his chain out, and much to his shock, the chain wrapped around his spectral body, pulling him closer while all the while burning him. "What is this… What are you?!" Faust cried out in pain and fear as the Rider brought him face to face with his flaming skull.

"I am the judge for your crimes… you have harmed many people… and killed hundreds more… but today you attempted to take what no mere mortal could ever be allowed to have… and now you must pay the toll" he echoed before his empty eye sockets burned an unnatural colour, staring into Faust's own eyes.

"Look into my eyes, and feel the pain of the sins you've committed!" The rider yelled as Faust screamed in pain once more, his own ghostly eyes burning black like charcoal before he disappeared along with the rider and his bike in a massive column of flames. Once they were gone, the Spectre and the Stranger were left staring at the space they once occupied.

"Once the Rider is finished with him… he will bring Faust back to you" The stranger spoke plainly.

The Spectre nodded. "I should hope so… I wish to punish him too"

* * *

 **Boom! Another adventure! This time with more cosmic abstracts!**

 **I know it's a little short, but I couldn't find a way to fit Flint into the full episode of "The Balance", and I wanted to get some exposition out of the way, as well as some foreshadowing. I hope you enjoy it outside of that.**

 **Be sure to leave a review, and ask anything you'd like! Next time, it's a Clash of titans as Superman fights Captain Marvel, with Luthor caught in the middle of it.**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	18. Clash

**Another chapter for you guys!**

 **Consider this one last treat before I take a break. The end of the semester is right around the corner, so I'll be swamped with assignments. Seriously, don't expect me back until around the end of April.**

 **But in the meantime, I figured I might as well get this chapter out to you guys. And thank you all so much for your continued support. It's always awesome to see.**

 **Anyways, question time!:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: I'm glad to know you liked the appearance of Ghost Rider here. I had a lot of fun coming up with that idea, since I adore the supernatural side of both Marvel and DC.**

 **GodSwampThing: Which Captain Marvel? You'll see...** ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 **Nicochan11: Will he? Maybe. You'll have to find out in this chapter.**

 **xbox432: Yep, Lord Helix is a reference to the almighty Omastar fro Twitch Plays Pokemon a few years ago.**

 **Sgt. M00re: Yes.**

 **Guest: I already a have a pairing in mind for Spider-Man.**

 **TerrorKing10: Then you shall enjoy this chapter here.**

 **Johnathen: Deadpool... eh... maybe? There aren't really any 4th wall breakers in DC apart from Animal Man (Who hasn't broken it since the 80s) and Ambush Bug (Who is pretty damn dead at the moment).**

 **As always, be sure to read an review! I love hearing your thoughts on chapters.**

 **DISCLAIMER: You know the drill. What's Marvel's is MArvels, and therefore Disney's. What's DC's is DC's, and therefore Warner Bros'. Please support the official releases**

* * *

One thing that Flint had learned since arriving in the Justice League's universe, is that each hero tends to stick to their own city. Batman was always associated with Gotham, and Flash was associated with Central City and so on. In this regard, heroes could occasionally become territorial when it came to other heroes entering their home city (he certainly learned that after Batman insisted he leave Gotham for Miami once they first found his new house). Occasionally however, the situation would arise when other heroes were called in to help. As was the case today.

Flint collided with a solid brick wall, sand flying everywhere as he slowly reformed before standing up with a groan. Superman was busy with a plane over the skies of Metropolis, so when the villain known as Parasite happened to be on the loose, Sandman immediately joined Batman, Metamorpho, and Elongated Man in attempting to subdue the villain.

This was proving to be easier said than done however, as the villain's powers were keeping the heroes at bay. Parasite had the metahuman ability to copy and steal the powers of anyone he touched, wielding them as well as the original owner could. It kind of reminded Flint of Rogue from the X-Men.

However, with Parasite having stolen Elongated Man's stretching ability, and leaving the scientist unconscious off to the side, Flint was feeling less confident than usual in their ability to defeat the villain. Flint got knocked into the wall after the villain had blindsided him, an arm stretched out in the shape of a hammer hitting him from behind.

'Don't get too close. No telling what he'll do with my powers' he thought to himself as Metamorpho fired a stream of acid at the villain. Parasite simply slid out of the way on a serpentine body as Flint grimaced.

"We need some help here bats!" Sandman said as he readied another hammer.

"No! We can take him down, we just need to be careful" Batman responded as Flint swung his mallet at the villain. Up until this point, it was only his sandy body that had stopped parasite from taking his powers. Parasite simply curled his legs into a spring before launching himself over Sandman, landing on top of Metamorpho as he grasped the hero's throat tightly.

Metamorpho screamed in pain as he felt his powers being siphoned away before falling into unconsciousness. Batman tried to throw a batarang at Parasite in retaliation, but the villain turned his body into gas, allowing the projectile to fly through him harmlessly.

"Oh that ain't good" Flint muttered before turning to his last conscious ally. "Got anything that can take him out fast?"

Batman simply shook his head in response before pressing a finger to his communicator. "J'onn, we're in trouble!"

"Are you asking for help?" the Martian asked in response. The tone of J'onn's voice indicated that he was no less than incredulous at Batman's request.

"Yes, I am! We need the help!" Batman pressed, dodging a stream of acid as Flint took shelter behind a car.

"But you never ask for help…"

"Just send someone J'onn!" Flint cut in impatiently, a constant stream of acid slowly starting to eat away at the car he was hiding behind.

* * *

In the skies above the battle, a passenger jet was barreling to the ground, with Superman attempting to pull it down to safety. One of the engines on the plane had caught fire and as a result, the entire left wing was now burning up rapidly. Thankfully, Superman was able to put out the fire with his breath as he then worked on lifting the airplane to bring it into a safe landing at the airport.

As he used his hands to support the nose of the plane, he received a message on his communicator from J'onn.

"Superman, you are needed" the Martian said simply as the man of steel grunted in effort at the weight of the plane he was lifting.

"I'm in the middle of something, can it wait?" he asked in exasperation, trying to stay focused to guiding the plane safely to the landing strip just ahead of him.

"Unfortunately no. It's the Parasite" J'onn answered grimly as Superman frowned. Parasite was a routine villain of his, and he knew all too well what the villain himself was capable of. Just as he approached the airport he pressed a hand to his communicator.

"Give me a half a minute…" he grunted. "Then I'll be right..." he started again before being cut off as a red and gold blur suddenly rocketed past him just as the plane landed safely on the tarmac. Superman stared back at the rapidly retreating object in confusion.

'What in the world was that?' he questioned to himself before starting to follow behind.

* * *

"Well I gotta admit, there are worse villains I could have lost to... Calendar Man for example" Flint said dryly as the remains of the car crumbled away to nothing and Parasite quickly advanced on him. He raised a mallet, ready to fight before a sudden red blur delivered a wicked haymaker that sent the villain colliding with a building.

"Well it's about time!" Flint laughed before looking at his saviour. "Where the hell have you been Shazam?" Flint asked with a laugh as the new arrival turned to face him.

Shazam was the newest recruit to the League. He was tall, muscular, with a chiseled face. He wore a red costume with a golden lightning bolt on the front, and a white cape with gold trim that dangled off of one shoulder.

"Sorry, just got a little tied up with traffic. That's 'where the heck' I was" the hero answered as Flint gave a small chuckle. Despite his newer status to the team, Flint as well as many of the other heroes, took a great liking to their newest recruit. There was just something earnest about him that they enjoyed. Although, when he joined initially, his codename was Captain Marvel.

Flint could still remember how that conversation went.

 _-Flashback-_

"So you're the new guy eh? Name's Sandman" Flint greeted as he shook the eager new recruit's hand.

"Captain Marvel. It's an honour to be a part of the League" he said with shy admiration as Flint thought for a moment.

"Captain Marvel eh? We got someone with that name back in my home universe" he mused. Ever since he had gone to the future, it had become easier just to make his origins common knowledge to the rest of the League. It certainly helped clear up some confusion any way.

"You got a Captain Marvel in your world too? Awesome! What's he like?"

"Well, _SHE_ is a former member of the air force who could absorb the energy of an atomic bomb before sending it back with twice the power" he answered with a small shrug as Marvel blanched.

"Holy… That's awesome!"

 _-Flashback End-_

In the days since then, Captain Marvel changed his name to Shazam, if only for the sake avoiding any more confusion. According to Flint, his world had multiple Captain Marvel's, Carol only being the most recent.

That and Shazam just sounded cooler to him.

"Well, we're glad to have you here. Parasite's starting to be bit more effort than we'd like. That Wisdom of Solomon giving you any ideas?" Flint asked with a hopeful look as Shazam paused, thinking.

"Wisdom isn't exactly the same as knowledge… Hey Batman? What could stop Parasite at this point?" he asked the older hero, who removed two capsules from his belt.

"He has Metamorpho's powers. However all chemical reactions stop at sub-zero temperatures. If one of you can get him near that fire hydrant, I might have an idea" he recommended as the villain slowly emerged from the wall he was punched through.

"I gotcha there Bats" Flint nodded before breaking the hydrant off of the sidewalk, causing water to spray everywhere while Shazam grasped the villain by the neck and tossed him into the stream of water.

The villain barely had time to think before Batman tossed his capsules of liquid nitrogen. The capsules broke on contact, releasing the super-called gas, which quickly froze the villain in a block of ice.

"Once he's unconscious, the powers and energy he stole will be returned to their owners" Batman explained as Shazam nodded before punching the villain one last time, taking him out of the fight.

"Wow, you knocked him out cold" Flint smirked as Shazam laughed in response to the pun. It seemed that no matter how bad a joke was, Shazam would always laugh. This allowed Flash to have a field day with some of his worse puns.

Batman ignored the joke, instead tying the villain up securely as Elongated Man and Metamorpho came to, approaching their team mates. "That was good work there kid" Flint nodded to the new hero who rubbed the back of his head.

"It was nothing really" Shazam said modestly as Elongated Man stretched his neck out to examine Shazam's face.

"Hey I think he's blushing" the scientist laughed before pointing out the tint of red that now graced Shazam's cheeks.

"You really pulled our fat out of the fire Shazam" Flint continued.

"You really think so?" He asked, a little unsure.

"Don't be so modest kid" Metamorpho commented, clapping him on the shoulder. "I don't even think Superman could have done it better…" he started just as the Man of Steel made his way to the scene. "Hey we were just talking about you!"

"And you are?" Superman asked, looking right at Shazam.

"Oh that's right" Elongated Man said, embarrassed at the realization. "You were on a mission in space when we recruited him, and you never met before now"

"I'm Shazam sir" the hero started before extending a hand to Superman. "And it's a real honour. You're my biggest fan"

"Excuse me?" Superman asked in confusion, shaking his hand.

Shazam suddenly blushed brighter at his mistake. "S-sorry, um, I'm your biggest fan. It's just a little overwhelming meeting you sir" he said nervously while Superman raised an eyebrow in what Flint thought was mild disdain.

"It's a pleasure Shazam, a real pleasure"

Before the heroes could take their leave, they soon found the scene swarming with various reporters, all of whom wanted to get a few questions in to Shazam. Flint and the others opted to stand back, and see exactly how he handled being mobbed by so many reporters at once.

"Please folks, one at a time. Please" he laughed nervously as his hands were raised in a placating gesture, looking down at the rather large crowd nervously.

"Shazam; Lois Lane, from the Daily Planet" one reporter started, her jet black hair and purple suit giving her away clearly as the love interest of one Clark Kent. According to what Flint had heard, Superman did end up telling her the secret. He was only in the dog house for two weeks after that. "How does it feel to be a part of the Justice League?"

Shazam grinned at the question as he cleared his throat. "How does it feel? Like I've waited my whole life for this! I mean being on the same team as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman…" he started with a nervous chuckle. "I still can't believe they actually let me join"

"What is it that you value so much about the League?" Lois continued as her ever present photographer friend Jimmy took picture after picture.

"Golly" he said quietly before stopping to think. He almost hadn't quite thought about that before this moment. "I guess it's all the good they do. Not just helping people – which is great – I mean, that's the reason we're all here in the first place right? But they really make a difference out here. They change the world"

"Not bad. Not bad at all. That was a nice answer kid" Flint nodded with a small smile. The kid was handling himself fairly well so far, and that was a pretty good answer.

"How so?" Lois asked, pressing him on.

"Well, just look at Lex Luthor. He used to be a supervillain for Pete's sake, and ow he's one of the good guys!" Shazam concluded.

"Less nice" Flint frowned. Lex was quite a notorious villain in this world. Or rather… former villain. In the wake of his kryptonite induced cancer and pardon granted to him by the Justice League, Lex had taken on a more philanthropic approach to life. He had donated to and even started more than a few charities in the recent months.

However, Flint and the others knew better than to trust the billionaire blindly.

The one who was the most displeased with this was Superman surprisingly. Flint noted that the Man of Steel's knuckles had been clenched firmly as he listened to Shazam conduct his interviews, and his grip only tightened when he heard the younger hero say that Luthor running for president was a good idea.

"Uh… you okay there Supes?" Flint asked as the other heroes glanced at him nervously.

"Let's just go" he replied firmly as he and the others were returned to the Watchtower.

* * *

"So did you hear about Question's new relationship?" Zatanna asked as she and Flint walked to a table in the cafeteria with their lunches.

"Wait, wait, wait. Relationship? Somebody's actually dating that kook?" He replied incredulously.

"Yep. Turns out he and Huntress are a thing now" she answered as Flint blinked in shock. He knew about how the paranoid detective had assisted Huntress in tracking down the mob boss responsible for her family's death so that she could take her revenge. As a result of her crusade she had been dismissed from the League after Green Arrow and Black Canary came to intervene and stop her killing the boss. However, the two vigilantes forming a romance in the aftermath of that was news to him.

"Well, you learn something new every day" he laughed before starting to dig in.

"Speaking of romance…"

"Hm?" he questioned, a mouth full of soup.

"I was wondering, since we're officially a thing, maybe we should move in together?" she offered. "I mean, my apartment isn't big enough but we could certainly share your place comfortably"

Flint thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, we could do that. I can get your stuff moved into the guest room"

"The guest room?" she questioned dryly. "You really don't know how this is supposed to work, do you?"

"What? How else is it supposed to… oh…? Oh. OH." he said in sudden realization as she smirked.

"Yeah. That's how"

Flint cleared his throat, sipping his water with a blush as he tried to change the subject. "So what do you think of Shazam?"

"The new guy? He seems decent enough, a little naïve for my tastes though" she shrugged. "Your thoughts?"

"About the same. He's earnest, but at the same time he needs to work a little more on some things" he said, before the doors to the cafeteria opened and Shazam stepped in. He had just left a meeting with the founders, and judging by the look on his face, it went a little worse than expected. "Huh. Wonder what's buggin' the kid?"

Zatanna followed his gaze curiously before frowning. "Maybe the meeting just went poorly"

He thought for a moment before standing up and walking over to Shazam, Zatanna following behind. "Hey kid, what's eatin' you? Something' happen?"

Shazam turned, his normally cheery face taken over by a sullen scowl before he sighed in relent. "Hey guys, just had a meeting with the founders. It didn't go so well."

"What happened?" Zatanna asked curiously, her arms folded.

"The founding members… Well…" he started before rubbing the back of his neck. "Superman really… they got mad at me for the papers saying that I was endorsing Luthor for presidency"

Flint stared for a moment before frowning. "Really? Seems like a bit of an over-reaction then. I mean, we're supposed to stay out of politics, that's the agreement we all signed"

Zatanna nodded. "And even given Luthor's past history with Superman, I can't say why that would have been such a problem for them"

Shazam chuckled nervously at that. "I may have over-reacted when Superman said that some people don't change"

"You dented the table didn't you?" Flint asks as the hero nods in embarrassment. "Look kid, everyone deserves a second chance. Look at me, I started as a petty-crook before I was a super-villain, and now I'm a hero. But I never tried to hurt anyone, at least not permanently. Luthor has tried to kill every founding member of the League… multiple times"

"Regardless of your personal feeling son the man, you have to recognize that Superman has had a lot of bad blood with Luthor, especially since it was his funding that allowed General Hardcastle to put Supergirl into a coma" Zatanna added as Shazam took on a pensive look.

"For now, we're giving him the benefit of the doubt, but the leash he's on with us is very short" Flint finished.

"Okay… I think I see what you're saying. I still think that everyone deserves a second chance, but I can see how keeping an eye on him would be the smarter move" Shazam finally relented.

"Just know the good and bad of both stances. It's a little harder to play the middle, but sometimes it's the safest way to go" Flint added. "And be careful. You don't want to do something you'll regret"

Shazam nodded one last time before Sandman and Zatanna walked off, leaving the hero alone with his thoughts.

"We weren't too hard on him were we?" Flint asked Zatanna who shook her head.

"No. If anything he needed to hear that. It'll help him in the future, especially where Luthor's campaign is involved"

"Fair enough. Now, when did you want to move your stuff in to my place?" he asked as the magician thought for a moment.

"I think we can start moving this weekend. I just need to put my apartment up for sale first" she decided before looping her arms around his.

* * *

The next day, the League appeared to be back to their usual routine. Superman, Batman, and Sandman were all down in Metropolis, dealing with a group of villains, consisting of King Shark, Sportsmaster, and the Key, among others. However, the villains were proving to be less of a threat and more of a nuisance.

"You were a little hard on the Boy Scout don't you think?" Batman asked as he put Ragdoll, a super contortionist into a headlock before tossing him aside into the Key. Afterwards he charged a set of electrical shock brass knuckles as he dodged an attack from a man dressed as a luchador.

"I thought I was the Boy Scout?" Superman asked as he struggled to hold back King Shark before he punched the villain into a nearby building.

"So did we. Until we met Shazam" Sandman shrugged as Sportsmaster tried to hit him with a titanium bat, only for the sport themed assassin to pass harmlessly through his sand. "Bats I thought you said Shark Boy here died during an attack on Arkham" he asked in confusion. Ever since the group of villains infiltrated the Watchtower, Batman immediately put two and two together, knowing it had to be Amanda Waller's personal task force codenamed 'The Suicide Squad'. They had previously broken into Arkham Asylum to steal a USB drive from the Riddler, with that incarnation including King Shark. However, the villain was thought to have died then.

"I thought he did. Apparently he possesses an accelerated healing factor… among other things" the detective answered.

"You mean like that romance he has with Killer Frost?"

"Yes… that" Batman frowned before he subdued another opponent. "What do these guys want anyway?"

"To take over the world… or rob banks… I forget" Superman admitted honestly as he nimbly dodged an exploding baseball courtesy of Sportsmaster before knocking him out swiftly with one punch.

"This is getting really monotonous, you know what I mean?" Flint asks as he takes care of the Key who had attempted to attack from behind.

"What? You mean how these guys keep getting back up?" Superman asked.

"No I mean just the villains in general. I mean, Sportsmaster? Really? If he wasn't a world class assassin I would have thought he was just some d-lister, know what I mean?" Flint groaned as the last of the villains was taken care of.

"I guess I do" Superman relented before shaking his head. "But back to Shazam, Why are you two… Why is everyone defending him?"

"We like him" Batman replied simply.

"He's earnest" Sandman agreed before Superman received an alert through his communicator.

"Superman?" The voice asked.

"Yes?"

"This is Emile Hamilton. J'onn was kind enough to patch me through"

"What is it professor?" the Kryptonian asked in interest. He knew Hamilton wouldn't have gone through the Watchtower to contact him unless it was really important, so he was interested to know what the problem was.

"There's something important I think you should see" the professor answered as Sandman piled the villains together.

"You guys go check out Hamilton wants. I think I got these guys" he shrugged as the police arrived.

"Okay, we'll see you at the Watchtower then" Superman nodded before him and Batman rushed off.

* * *

S.T.A.R Labs in Metropolis regularly boasted having some of the tightest security on the planet, able to withstand break-ins from most villains, crooks, and would be evil-doers. So it came as a surprise to both heroes when they arrived to find out it had been robbed. They were even more confused by the fact that they had been called in for something of this low a level.

"It it's just a simple robbery why call us?" Superman asked the Professor as he and Batman walked through the hall to the scene of the crime alongside Hamilton.

"It was anything but simple" Hamilton replied with a frown. "They ignored valuables, priceless gems, high-technology artifacts, and experimental weapons. In fact, the only things they took were the contents of this safe" he replied before showing the two heroes the large open safe inside the lab at the end of the hall. "Nearly four pounds of weapons-grade Kryptonite"

At that Batman immediately set to work examining the safe, intently studying every hinge and every dent, looking for any clues he could salvage. After nearly an hour of intent searching he put away his equipment before standing up.

"So?" Superman asked, waiting for the answer with his arms crossed.

"The lock was nano-picked. LexCorp technology" Batman said simply.

"Then Luthor…" Superman began, ready to incriminate the billionaire.

"Which _anyone_ could have gotten their hands on. Or, for that matter, planted here to incriminate Luthor It's a public domain tool"

"You know it was him" the man of steel argued, and exasperated look on his face.

"I'm not entirely convinced. This is pretty sloppy for Lex"

Superman simply scoffed in response. "He's the most arrogant human being on the planet. He _wants_ us to know!"

"Maybe" the detective said.

"Maybe?!"

"I'll go to the Watchtower, see if the Atom can find something I missed" he answered before moving past Superman.

"Since when do you miss anything?" Superman asked incredulously.

"Since when do you jump to conclusions without evidence" he countered, leaving his partner silent before he turned around. "Go to that charity event tonight. You'll help raise some money, and keep an eye on our elusive thief Mr. Luthor"

* * *

"I'm telling you man, it's incredible. These villains just keep getting weirder and weirder" Flint sighed in exasperation as Flash walked with him through the Watchtower.

"Tell me about it. Have you looked at the villain registry in the Watchtower lately? There are so many names I don't recognize, and some that just sound pathetic" the speedster nodded in agreement.

"You mean like Weasel?"

"I'm talking more like Calendar Man, but yeah he works too" Flash laughed before shaking his head. "So anyway, since it's a slow night, I figure we have enough time to cut out a little early. John and I are going to watch the football game with Ollie down at my place. You in?"

"You know it. No way am I passing up a game like that. Who's playing?"

"Gotham vs Midway City"

"Even better. Best part, I'm off for the evening" Flint laughed before receiving a sudden alert from J'onn through his communicator.

"Flint report to the transporter room immediately"

"Oh, damn it!" the hero groaned in exasperation.

"Hey relax. I'll record the game for you so you can watch it later" Flash offered before Sandman ran off to the transporter room where J'onn was waiting for him.

"What's the situation that decided to interrupt the football game?" Flint asked as the Martian typed in coordinates.

"Superman is fighting Shazam at Lexor City"

Flint blinked in surprise before shaking his head. "I… wait what?" he asked before being shown a live feed of the two heroes fighting. "How'd this get all screwy?"

"Apparently there is a device underneath Lexor that is Kryptonite-powered. Luthor says the device is a temporary generator which will be disposed of once the permanent generators are installed. Superman, however, believes it to be a bomb and is trying to destroy it. Shazam is attempting to stop him, since they don't have enough evidence to suggest whether or not it is indeed a weapon"

"Oh great, and what am I supposed to do?"

"You know both of them well. Perhaps you can try and talk them out of fighting long enough for us to assess the situation completely"

"Fine. But I'm calling in some help from my end. Reed will be able to determine what exactly the device does" Flint suggested.

"And what if Superman tries to attack you?"

Flint paused as he stepped on the transporter. "Time to call in Carol Danvers"

* * *

Flint was transported to just a block away from all the commotion before a portal opened and he was joined by Reed Richards and one other figure. She was a rather tall woman, with short cropped blond hair, a blue outfit with red shoulder and neck, divided across her chest by a yellow stripe and a star in the centre. She also wore red boots and gloves, with a red sash acting as a belt. This was Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel.

"Sorry for dragging you out here Reed, but this is kind of an emergency" Flint says sheepishly.

"It's no worry. I had at least managed to spend a dinner with my family for once. Susan was just putting the children to bed" the doctor said before Carol frowned, folding her arms.

"What's the problem here Flint?"

"Well, those two idiots are fighting because one thinks a generator is a bomb"

The two blinked in response as they tried to process what he said. "He thinks a generator is a bomb?" Carol repeated slowly.

"Yeah. I asked for Reed so he can give that idiot a concrete answer on the device"

"Then why am I here?" Carol asks.

"Just in case both those idiots need a good hit over the head" Flint shrugged before leading the two down to where a crowd of civilians, reporters, and police officers, Lex Luthor among them, watched the brawl between Superman and Shazam.

"Luthor!" Sandman called as the billionaire turned to see the three heroes approach. To his credit, he merely raised an eyebrow in surprise at the two unknown figures. "How long have they been fighting for?"

"For the last ten minutes" he answered. "What exactly do you plan to do?"

"We intend to stop them before it gets much worse" Flint answered before dodging a shard of debris from the brawl going on above them. "You should probably help move people to safety" he said, gesturing to the officers who were attempting to herd people out of the way of the fight.

"You're right, of course. I'll help with the evacuation of civilians" Luthor nodded before moving off to help get a group of children out of the way.

"Alright, with that taken care of, Reed the generator is down there. See what you can find" Sandman said.

"Affirmative. I'll be back in just a moment" the scientist said before placing his glasses on and jumping down to the generator.

"Carol"

"Yes?" she asked expectantly.

"Get them to ground level" he said before she pulled her gloves tighter and cracked her knuckles.

"Can do!" she nodded before taking off to where Superman and Shazam were exchanging punches. She watched the two tussle for a moment before shaking her head. "Hey morons! What do you think you're doing?" she asked, only for the two to ignore her.

She watched them continued fighting, Shazam being stuck in a rather tight headlock before she groaned. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" she said, grabbing Superman's wrist, only for the hero to strike her face by accident before he whirled around, finally acknowledging her presence.

"What, who are you?" he asked, as Carol's face still looked off to the side from his blow. He then looked at his hand in surprise before frowning. "Ma'am I'm so sorry but…"

He was cut off as she turned her face back around, levelling a glare of clear murderous intent, unsettling both Superman and the newly freed Shazam as they watched her fearfully.

"Captain…Marvel?" the younger hero asked sheepishly.

* * *

"Has Carol stopped their fighting yet?" Reed called as Flint turned to look. At first there was nothing. Then all of a sudden, both Superman and Shazam were sent flying to the street in front of him, cracking the pavement from the force of the impact.

"Oh yeah. She did" he nodded as Carol landed beside him. "You two done yet?"

Superman slowly stood up, groaning as he held his head before he looked at Flint incredulously. "Flint what are you doing? There's a bomb down there… we have to stop it!"

"Supes it ain't a bomb. If it was, Luthor would just be killing himself too!" Sandman said as Shazam slowly stood up.

"That's what I said!" he called before another glare from Captain Marvel shut him up.

"Listen, Reed is down there now taking a look at it. If it's a bomb, which I doubt he'll stop it. Just give him ten seconds"

"We don't have ten seconds! The bomb goes off in five!" Superman shouted, remembering the timer he saw on the device when he first arrived, before he flew off towards the hole. Just as he reached it, the elastic scientist came out, dusting his hands off.

"Professor Richards, did you stop the bomb?" Superman asked urgently as Reed shook his head.

"It's not a bomb" the scientist answered, putting his glasses away before the device activated with a loud whirring noise. After a minute, Lights all over the block suddenly flickered to life. Every building, and every streetlamp was suddenly illuminated as Superman blinked in surprise.

"Wh-what? I don't…"

"As I'm sure you were told multiple times by now…" Reed started in exasperation. "It was not a bomb. It's a generator. The Kryptonite inside is being used as the power source, but even if it was a bomb, the ensuing explosion wouldn't have harmed a flower pot, least of all you" the scientist explained as Superman blinked in shock, while Shazam breathed a sigh of relief. After a minute, the younger hero started to sway on his feet as both Carol and Flint caught him.

"Captain, take him up to that building there. I'll join you with the others in a minute" he said before Carol nodded and helped Shazam fly up on top of a nearby apartment complex.

Superman was still in shock as he processed what had just happened. He was in the wrong in this situation… he was the bad guy. He just ran in on a bad hunch, attempting to destroy a harmless generator. If Shazam hadn't stopped him… if the others hadn't stopped him…

"I can't thank you enough for stopping this misunderstanding before things got out of hand" Lex said, causing both heroes to turn towards him. The billionaire had arrived with a group of reporters behind him, before he shook Flint's hand. Flint couldn't help but feel some sort of unease around him, as though the billionaire wanted the fight to continue, but he put that thought aside for now.

"The… the Justice League will pay for the damages" Superman stammered as he broke out of his shock before gesturing to the destruction caused by his fight, before Luthor shook his head.

"No, this one's on me" Luthor offered before Flint looked at Superman.

"Listen, you are gonna take me and Reed up there. We need to have a chat" Flint frowned before Superman nodded, picking up both as he flew to the building where Captain Marvel and Shazam were waiting.

* * *

Once they landed on the rooftop, Flint turned to look at Carol and Reed. "I think I can take it from here guys. Thanks for the help though"

"My pleasure Flint. I'll be sure to tell the others you're doing well" he nodded before opening the portal and stepping inside. Carol paused for a moment, staring at Shazam before frowning.

"Stay out of trouble" she said plainly before stepping through behind Reed as the portal closed. Once they were gone, Flint nodded before pinching the bridge of his nose. After a moment, he turned to look at the two heroes.

"You absolute morons" he muttered as both look at him in surprise.

"What?" Superman asked in surprise as Flint rounded on him.

"You just attacked Luthor's machine, not knowing what it even is, and thinking it was a bomb. You were told multiple times it wasn't but you didn't listen. You saw Luthor, you saw a machine he made, you saw that it ran on Kryptonite and you just jumped in" he said before turning to Shazam. "And you, you just blindly fought back. Couldn't you have tried talking him out of it first? Or calling in a league scientist? Atom does this crap for a living he could have solved this issue in seconds!" he yelled.

Both heroes looked down sheepishly at what Flint said, knowing that it was true. They were both at fault here. After a moment, Flint sighed before shaking his head. "Listen, you both had the best of intentions here, but you were both wrong. You can't just assume that everything Luthor does is evil, especially without proof, and you can't just pick a fight. How do you think this looks for the rest of us in the League?"

Superman nodded before looking up. "You're right. It was wrong of me to just blindly attack Luthor, and I'm sorry for how I've been treating you Shazam. You were right to try calling me out on all of this" he admitted. "Can you forgive me?"

Shazam looked at Superman before nodding. "Yeah I can. You just make a mistake… and so did I. I know it was wrong of me to just attack you, but you were out of line. But… I know that I shouldn't be as trusting of Luthor as I am. And so, I'm sorry too"

"Let's start over then" Superman offered before extending his hand. "Clark Kent"

Shazam looked at it skeptically before nodding and shaking his hand firmly. "Billy Batson"

"That's a hell of a grip you got there Billy" Superman joked as both laughed.

"There. Now that we're all friends, can we get back to the Watchtower? I might be able to catch the last few minutes of the football game if I hurry" Flint asked before all three shared another laugh.

* * *

The next day, Superman watched the news report of the previous night, seeing the footage of his fight with Shazam before Captain Marvel came to send them both to the ground. The rest of the founders watched as well, each with their own look of worry as they looked to their leader.

"If they hadn't tried to stop me…" he started before Batman cut him off suddenly.

"It wasn't your fault Clark" Batman said. "They set you up"

"How can it not be my… wait? 'They'?"

* * *

"Ah, things went well all things considered" Lex Shrugged as he pulled out a bottle of wine, popping the cork off. "Superman is now seen as paranoid, and if the leader of a group is unstable, what does that say about the people he leads?" he asked before pouring the wine into four glasses. "Things may have been better if the Sandman and his associates hadn't shown up, whoever they were"

He handed one of the glasses off to a figure in the shadows before a hand reached out and took the glass from him, revealing themselves as a smirking Amanda Waller. "It can't be helped. Although I must ask, why four glasses?"

Luthor smirked at that. "Because I managed to find us some allies. Allies who know all about Sandman… and his associates" he reveals before two figures stepped forwards and took the remaining glasses. One was a man in purple armour, with black goggles and a handle-bar mustache. Behind him stood a tall woman, with jet black hair, and clad in a black leather outfit. She gave an aura that simply dripped with power.

"Bentley Wittman, but you can call me the Wizard" the man introduced himself before gesturing to his compatriot. "And this is my ex-wife, Salamandra"

Waller studied them for a moment before Luthor raised his glass to her. "To victory, Mrs. Waller"

She stared for a moment before smirking again and toasting her glass with him. "To victory, Mr. Luthor"

* * *

 **And there you go! The plot thickens as Wizard finally makes his move!**

 **Also general housekeeping:**

 **1) King Shark has his appearance from Assault on Arkham, Sportsmaster has his appearance from Young Justice (*hint-hint*)**

 **2) The events of Assault on Arkham happened between Ultimatum and The Balance, just to give you an idea of timing.**

 **3) Yes, King Shark survived that bomb. He is a Hawaiian shark demigod who grew back half his head before. he could survive this now!**

 **4) Yes, the King Shark x Killer Frost ship is something I support. I support it a lot.**

 **As always, be sure to read and review! Next time, Sandman is going to investigate a mystery... IN SPAAAAAAAAAACE!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	19. Mystery in Space

***Opens up the lid to my coffin***

 **Have no fear! Waffles is here, and the hiatus is over!**

 **It has been a long slog with school, let me tell you. And it ain't even over yet! I still have exams, and while I will be studying hard for those, I at least had the chance to get out another chapter now that ll of my school assignments are finished.**

 **First, thank you all for sticking with me for this long. We just recently passed 26000 views! Holy crap. I didn't expect this little fic to be anywhere near that popular, so thank you all for your continued support.**

 **Now, onto some reviews!:**

 **Nicochan11: Oh? You mean Team Penguin? The minute I saw this, I knew I had to. So I shall deliver!**

 **Sgt. M00re: I'll be honest, I've never seen Generator Rex. I keep hearing it's good, and I've been meaning to check it out, but I just haven't had the chance. Besides, I still have to catch up on a couple of shows before that happens.**

 **Daniel's the man 98: He will... eventually.**

 **xbox432: That is exactly what I plan on doing. Eventually.**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Thanks again for the fantastic comment man, they are always appreciated. I do intend on having more appearances for Galatea, I can't just let a good character go to waste. As for your ideas, I am more than willing to have you share them. So go wight ahead and shoot me a message, I'd love to hear them.**

 **Johnathen: No offense to the ponies but I am keeping them as far away from this fic as I can. And again, that would just be Deadpool stealing the spotlight from the story. I have a plan for Deadpool. It is a humourous plan. Just be patient.**

 **IamOminous: I am well aware of Dex-Starr. I also happen to love his character.**

 **zeo knight: I know there are, but when would I realistically use them?**

 **Lucian Naruto: Always a pleasure to hear from you man. As for Captain Atom, yes. His sudden willingness to fight the League is really odd. Almost like he was brainwashed. I mean, it;s not like Luthor just made an alliance with a villain know for brainwashing or anything ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

 **JAKEkenstein: Unfortunately none of those pairings will be used. Only because I'm already working on other pairings.**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Omniverse was exaclty what I was going for. And yes, I do love the YJ Spitfire pairing.**

 **Thanks again for all teh reviews. They make this job worth it. Anyway, disclaimer time.**

 **DISCLAIMER: You know the drill. What's Marvel's is Marvel's and therefore Disney's. What's DC's is DC's. PLease support the official releases.**

 **Without further ado, onto the chapter!**

* * *

"If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times! I am sick and tired of everyone else's villains coming in to my city! What is with you people? I have my own rogues now! You have your own heroes! Why can't you just bug them?" Sandman asked in exasperation as he looked to the latest rogue to enter Miami.

The rogue in question? Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, alias the Penguin. He was a known gangster from Gotham, and as a result was a rather notorious member of Batman's usual rogue's gallery.

"Oh please, you underestimate me Sandman. I am not just a Gothamite, I also frequent multiple other cities all along the east coast. I'm simply here for some intriguing information I heard about a jewel shipment." Cobblepot replied simply, before pointing his umbrella at the hero threateningly. "So, stand down, or else I'll be forced to hurt you more seriously hero!"

Sandman raised an eyebrow at this before pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're kidding me right? Just go home. You're out of your depth"

"But that's where you're wrong!" And don't say I didn't warn you!" Penguin called before pressing his fingers to his lips and whistling.

Before Sandman could react, he was suddenly struck from behind, forcing him to regain his footing as he just barely dodged a stream of fire that was fired at him out of nowhere. "What the hell? What now?"

"Those would just happen to be my associates Sandman" Penguin said smugly as he was suddenly flanked by four other villains.

The largest of the four was covered in green scales, and looked very reptilian, striking a very intimidating visage. This was Waylon Jones, aka Killer Croc. Next to Croc was a villain Sandman fought alongside Batman and Superman recently. He looked to be covered in rags, as well as being very flexible; this was Peter Merkel Jr., aka Ragdoll. The third was wearing grey armour, with glowing red eyes. He was responsible for the flames that were fired at Sandman, flying just a few inches off the ground with the help of his winged jetpack. This was Garfield Lynns, aka Firefly. Finally, the last member of the group resembled a humanoid purple moth. He had the most monstrous appearance, although his movements seemed to indicate he was still rather low in terms of leadership among the five. This last member was Drury Walker, otherwise known as Killer Moth.

"Behold…" Penguin boasted as he held his arms out. "The undefeatable, TEAM PENGUIN!"

Sandman looked at the four as his eyes narrowed dangerously. Then he started walking forward. The villains each readied themselves for his attack, but were shocked when he continued past them, instead opting to walk off the edge of the dock they were standing on. The five looked into the water after him in confusion before Croc broke the silence.

"Does uh… Does that mean that we win?"

"I think so" Firefly shrugged. "That was easier than I thought"

"Indeed. It appears that Team Penguin truly is unstoppable now!" Cobblepot laughed before they heard splashing from the other side of the dock behind them. The all turned before collectively taking a step back in fear.

Growing out of the water was a larger, bulkier Sandman, having taken the sand from the bottom of the water in the harbour as he levelled another glare, before yelling at them with a deep bellowing voice.

" **I TOLD YOU MORONS TO STAY OUT OF** _ **MY**_ **CITY! GO BACK TO GOTHAM!** " He said before raising a massive mallet above his head, ready to strike.

"Well Penguin, was it really worth it?" Ragdoll asked.

"Got to Miami you said, there's only one hero you said. We can take him you said! Nice frackin' idea Penguin!" Firefly yelled hysterically.

Croc merely groaned as Sandman started to swing the hammer down. "I should have just joined the Suicide Squad"

* * *

"Don't you think you were a little hard on them?" Shayera asked with a raised eyebrow as she and Flint watched a camera feed of 'Team Penguin' being arrested by the Miami Police.

Or in the case of Penguin, being taken away by an ambulance.

"No" Sandman deadpanned. "I warned them"

"That you did" she shrugged before going sitting back in her chair, folding her legs as she looked back at him. "So, how did the move go?"

It had since become public knowledge in the League that Flint and Zatanna were now moved in together in Flint's house in Miami. Most everyone was happy for them, although Bruce did give Sandman one of his infamous glares as a warning.

"Not too bad. There's more than enough room at my place for both our stuff and it wasn't too bad getting everything inside. Magic certainly helped with that" he laughed before crossing his arms "What about you and John? I heard you two got back together"

"We have, although we are taking things a little slower now. Moving in together has certainly come up in the conversation more than once, and we are seriously considering it. I mean it's not like it would be hard, I don't have many things to move."

"That's true. Just one of the perks of living on the Watchtower I guess" Flint laughed.

"Yeah it is. And I'm glad that you're so happy for us. But some people…" she trailed off.

"You mean Vixen?"

Shayera nodded solemnly. Vixen was certainly relentless in her pursuit of Earth's Green Lantern. Anytime she and John were in the same room she started flirting with him non-stop. With Shayera's return to the League her attempts only increased. "She hasn't done anything, she's a complete professional during a mission. I just wish she'd stop wasting her time giving me dirty looks"

"Ah yes. The ever dangerous 'Glare of Jealousy'; how can you possibly put up with it?" he asked sarcastically. Unsurprisingly, Vixen was one of many Leaguers who remained suspicious of Shayera in the wake of her return. Ever since Wonder Woman had gotten over her own grudges against the Thanagarian, most of the ill will among the rest of the League had since dissipated. But there were still a few members who seemed to be die hard opponents to Shayera. Vixen being one of them.

Although most of her behaviour could be attributed to jealousy.

Before Shayera could retort with her own sarcastic comment they suddenly heard J'onn's voice over their comms. "Shayera! You're needed in the communications room" the Martian urged her.

At the urgency in his voice, both heroes immediately took off for his location. When they arrived, they were greeted with the sight of the Martian, alongside Green Lantern, talking to someone over a live video feed. The figure in question couldn't have their identity deciphered due to the large and obstructive helmet that they were wearing.

"Shayera, is this what I think it is?" J'onn asked before pointing to a readout in front of them.

Shayera looked at the data curiously before frowning. "It's transuranic iron ore. Nth metal, like my mace, but unrefined. What about it?"

The figure on the screen finally spoke. "We're stranded on a rock that's pretty much made of the stuff. We're just miners, are we in any danger?" they asked. Their voice sounded distorted and slightly muffled, clearly as the result of the helmet that they were wearing.

Shayera's blood ran cold at that statement before she spoke again. "Sit tight, don't move and don't touch _anything_ " she stressed before turning to J'onn. "Prep a Javelin for me, I'm on my way out"

"Wait, I'll send you a support team" J'onn urged her.

"I don't need one, I'll handle it myself" She scoffed indignantly.

"That wasn't a suggestion" the Martian answered in a dangerous tone as his eyes glowed faintly. "You haven't been pulling your weight as a team leader"

"Excuse me?!"

"You're not alone anymore" he answered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "So stop behaving as if you are". Shayera looked down pensively, frowning at his statement. It was true; since she returned, she was becoming more reckless. On missions she was either alone, or with another founder. At first Flint considered to be mistrust on the part of the League, although now he wondered if it wasn't Shayera's own wish for isolation instead.

"I'll go with you" John immediately offered.

"No you won't" J'onn answered for her. "You're both founding members, and I don't want any question about who's leading the mission. You'll go with Flint. If this metal is as dangerous as you say it is, he is the best choice due to his immunity to toxins and radiation" the Martian explained.

"You got it J'onn" Flint nodded, giving Shayera a reassuring smile which she returned, when another voice sounded from behind them.

"I'll go too" Vixen said, as the four turned to face her.

After a moment, J'onn nodded before turning to the computer to check something. "Fine. Javelin 26 is ready on pad 9. I'll have Vigilante go with you as additional security"

Now, despite Flint having a very amicable relationship with Vigilante (the two were rather amicable towards each other, being very close friends and drink buddies), he was wary for him coming on this mission. Vigilante happened to be one of the many members of the Justice League that was still harboured a grudge against Shayera, refusing to trust her.

'Well, I hope he can at least be civil. Maybe this will repair the damage' Flint mused to himself before Shayera nodded with a huff. "Come on" she said before leading Flint and Vixen to the elevator. As the elevator door closed, Lantern turned to look at J'onn with a glare.

"Yes?" the Martian asked expectantly.

"Why did you do that?"

"Neither Vixen nor Vigilante have spent much time in space. It's a good experience for them"

"You know what I mean!" John countered angrily. "Putting my girlfriend on the same team as the woman who's always hitting on me, plus a crazy cowboy, both of whom might I add, hate her guts!"

"I have no doubt that they will act professionally on the mission" J'onn answered simply as he turned back to the communications screen. "And even if they don't, I'm sure that Flint will be able to keep them from doing anything rash" he said before re-establishing the call with the stranded crew. "I've assembled a rescue party. Help is on the way"

* * *

"I don't know how to thank you…" the 'miner' answered before bowing their head and ending the communication. As soon as the screen went black, they turned before removing the helmet to reveal a very human face. Their suit was removed next, revealing white armour with golden accents, and two large grey wings.

"But I'm sure I'll think of something" finished Paran Dul, Lieutenant of the Thanagarian empire as she smirked to the rest of her crew at their success.

* * *

"No, no, NO! Reset your hyper drive vectors!" Shayera barked as the Javelin was brought out of light speed travel, just a few minutes from their destination to help the mining crew.

Vigilante, who was currently piloting the Javelin, gave her a backwards glance before shrugging. Despite the red bandana he was wearing, his frown was quite easy to discern. "No one likes a backseat driver ma'am"

Her only response was to glare at him. "You need another twenty hours of flight time before you're certified"

"and some of us are already certifiable" Vigilante muttered as Shayera rolled her eyes.

"Vigilante, if you've got a problem with me, we can take it to the gym after the mission is over"

"Besides, I'm sure Question takes offence to that" Flint smirks, Vixen holding back some laughter.

"No ma'am. Resetting vectors" The cowboy answered, shaking his head as the Javelin began its descent. "Maybe you oughta think about riding side-saddle for a change"

Shayera started to stand but was held back by Flint, and surprisingly Vixen. "Let him be" Vixen told her. "Men have fragile egos. Besides, to get what you want, you have to know how to talk to them"

"Yeah, I don't really do that" Shayera frowned, idly turning the handle of her mace.

"So I've heard" Vixen laughed with a small smirk. "But maybe you should learn" she offered, no hint of malice at all in her tone or intent. Shayera merely looked away, unwilling to continue talking.

"Okay I'll bite. Exactly when did you decide to bury the hatchet?" Flint asked, turning to Vixen.

"We didn't… but maybe I'm starting to see that John and I aren't ever gonna be together. Might as well try and make amends. It's not anything in our control with how this played out. Besides, we might be friends one day" she shrugged. "At any rate. We don't want another Civil War"

Flint frowned at that before sighing. "You heard about that?"

"I heard Diana mentioning it to John a few weeks back after San Baquero" she admitted. "I meant to ask, did you lose anyone back then?"

"Yeah… we lost a good man" Flint admitted, thinking back to Goliath. While he may have been a villain at the time, it was still a shock to see one of the heroes killed due to their infighting. It certainly opened the eyes of the metahuman community.

"I'm sorry" she answered truthfully, giving a respectful nod, with Shayera following suit.

"It's fine. I just don't like any infighting in this team, especially not with that hanging over my head. And CADMUS trying to take us down isn't helping things either" Flint said. "But enough of the sad stuff. You gonna try and look for someone else? I heard Vigilante is still single"

The two looked up at their driver, who was currently using rather colourful words and Texan idioms while wrestling with the controls of the Javelin. He clearly needed more practice flying it.

"I can see why" she answered dryly before they both started laughing.

* * *

After a few more minutes, the Javelin finally landed in a jungle clearing on the planet below. The four Leaguers stepped out of the Javelin before taking a cursory look around at their surroundings. As they investigated, Vixen used the ability of a snake to see heat signatures to search for the miners.

"I'm not seeing any signs of another ship around here"

"That's odd. What about the miners, any signs of them?" Flint asked.

She shook her head in response. "No"

"There's nothing on the instruments either" Shayera said, looking over the sensors while Vigilante raised his hands in protest. "I followed the distress beacon, just like in the manual"

"Not saying you didn't" Shayera responded. "But this is weird. I'm not detecting any Nth metal either"

At that, Vigilante took out one of his pistols before idly looking at the bullets he had. "We could sit here studyin' it all night, or we could go and take a look-see"

Shayera thought for a moment before finally nodding. "All right, but stay sharp. This looks funky. Flint, think you could merge with the sediment in the cave?"

"More than likely, as long as it isn't clay" he nodded before taking the lead as they walked towards the mine. At the entrance, Vigilante squatted low to investigate some footprints. "Somebody was here. Maybe they went into the mine" the cowboy mused.

They continued inside, the four each looking around curiously. Flint looked at the sediment on the ground before frowning. "Hey Shayera?"

"Yeah Flint? What is it?"

"I don't think this is sediment. It looks like I should fuse with it, but I can't. It's like there's nothing even there!" he stated, making the others blink in shock and confusion. Shayera looked at one of the support struts holding the ceiling of the mine up as she waved her mace in front of hit. No matter where the light was the shadow didn't move. Then, she thrust her mace forward. Instead of the metallic clunk they expected to hear, the mace passed through harmlessly.

"The whole mine's a hologram! We've been suckered!" Shayera yelled before Flint turned his arm to glass, reflecting a few blast that cane their way.

"We got company!" he announced, Vigilante returning fire before they all ran out of the supposed mine. However, back in the jungle they were suddenly met with more shows from the vegetation around them.

"Back to the Javelin, we'll take cover there!" Shayera ordered. "Vig return fire, Flint, keep reflecting those blasts!"

"You got it!" he nodded before turning his whole body to glass and acting as a shield for Vigilante, who fired back into the bushes at whoever their attackers were. However, despite their best efforts, they were still forced to continue their retreat. As they were running, the Javelin came into their view before Shayera looked up in time to see…

"Scatter!" She shouted, causing the heroes to dive out of the way as a missile flew towards the Javelin, blowing it to pieces. The shockwave of the explosion, knocking Flint and Shayera to the side, with Vixen regaining her balance using some cat-like reflexes, while Vigilante was knocked into a nearby tree trunk. Flint immediately stood up, jumping in front of Vigilante in order to block some more shots before the two took shelter behind an outcropping of rocks, joined soon after by Vixen and Shayera.

More shots continued to fire down on them, with Vigilante firing some bullets in return. Shayera quickly pulled him down with a scowl. "Can you even see what you're shooting at?"

"Nope" the cowboy said before reloading. "Just keepin' 'em honest"

"Giving away our position is more like it!" She yelled back.

"Hey, how about we fight the bad guys instead of each other?" Vixen interrupted while Flint looked back at the lasers. They looked familiar to him, but he just couldn't place it. Until suddenly…

"Shayera… don't these blasts look familiar to you?" he asked. Shayera looked at him in confusion before analysing the blasts again. After a minute her eyes widened in realisation, just as they stopped and a new voice rang out.

"Shayera Hol!" the voice said as the heroes peeked out from their cover to see a group of Thanagarians approaching them. They were led by a tall woman, clad in white armour. She was then flanked by four soldiers while behind their group was one final Thanagarian. However, he was missing his wings and instead strapped in a metal exoskeleton. All six of them were armed, and glaring at the League.

"Friend of yours?" Vixen asked with a frown.

"Huh. Birds of a feather" Vigilante snorted.

"Did you really think you could get away with betraying the entire Thanagarian Empire?" Paran Dul yelled, her voice a clear mixture of grief and rage.

"Hold up, I thought we were the ones she betrayed" Vigilante whispered in confusion.

"Looks like she betrayed everybody cowboy" Vixen frowned as Flint shook his head.

"She joined the right side in the end though, I should know. I was there helping the League stop their invasion when she came to assist us from the inside"

The two looked at Flint in surprise before they processed what he said. They knew Flint had fought back against the Thanagarians, many of Earth's heroes did. But they didn't know he was with the League, fighting them off.

"You helped the Justice League and that infuriating sand being destroy my hyperspace bypass!" Dul continued as Flint snorted.

"So I'm infuriating now?"

"I only did it to stop you from killing everybody on Earth!" Shayera called back.

"That bypass was out last hope" Paran continued, her grief taking over in her voice. "Without it, we were helpless against our enemies… Because of you the Thanagarian Empire lost the war!" she shrieked, the rage coming back full force.

All four heroes reeled back in shock at that statement. By saving the Earth, they had accidentally doomed an entire species. All four were hit very heavily by that realisation, but none more so than Shayera. She simply stared off into space, a single tear streaking down her face.

"Nothing to say _traitor_?" Paran continued to call, her tone more mocking. "Or hadn't you heard?"

Shayera finally snapped back to attention. "Hro…" she said, her voice quiet and hoarse at first before she continued. "What happened to Hro?"

Flint remembered the leader of the Thanagarian invasion, Hro Talak. Particularly the numerous punches he had managed to land on him. Despite being the man in charge of Earth's attempted destruction, he carried the air of a very strong and respected leader. Paran listened to her question before sighing.

"After you and the Justice League destroyed the bypass, our fleet was ordered back to Thanagar. By the time we exited hyperspace, the Gordanians had already begun their final assault on our home world. In their minds, the war was over… but not for Hro Talak" she said with a hint of pride. "He single-handedly destroyed a dozen of the enemy battleships, but finally the battle was lost. Of our entire fleet, only Hro's ship remained. He ordered us into a scout ship. With his final death, he destroyed the Gordanian flagship" she continued before her tone became more vengeful. "Too little, too late. The war was already lost"

"I didn't know…" Shayera whispered, Flint putting a hand on her shoulder.

"There's no way you could have known" he said, trying to comfort her. In that moment of silence, Vixen and Vigilante shared a nod. While they still held their reservations against Shayera, they weren't about to give Shayera up without a fight.

"All we want is Shayera Hol. If you hand her over, the rest of you can go free… even you Sandman" Paran Dul stated, giving them the ultimatum. "If you choose to fight with her, you will most assuredly die with her"

"Gee, let me think about that!" Vigilante yelled before firing a sudden hail of bullets at the Thanagarians, forcing them to take cover. As they did, Flint formed a mallet with his right hand before nodding.

"Let's take them down!" he called before Shayera held him back.

"You don't speak for the team, I do" she growled, before sighing. "Maybe I should let them take me"

"Like horse hockey" Vigilante retorted. "Pardon my French"

"We're the Justice League, we don't turn our backs on our team mates" Vixen affirmed.

"Besides, I needed a little action today" Flint nodded as a blast passed through his shoulder harmlessly.

"Kregor! Take down the Sandman!" Paran ordered before the Thanagarian in the exoskeleton nodded.

"Yes…" he mumbled before rushing at the heroes.

"Heh, it's Robot Chicken!" Flint laughed before Kregor's fist went right through his sandy body. However, before he could pull it back, Flint solidified the sand around the arm, locking Kregor in place as Flint gave him two swift punches to the chest, knocking him back.

"Flint, give us some cover!" Shayera ordered.

"Can do!" Flint nodded, before whipping his sand up into a sandstorm, forcing the attacking Thanagarians to shield their eyes. Once the storm died down, they looked up to find the League had disappeared.

* * *

Dul looked at the now empty space they once occupied before gritting her teeth in anger. "Blast it!" she yelled.

"This is a waste of time" one of the soldiers said. "We should be headed back home to join the resistance"

"Not until the traitor is dead" Dul answered.

"Or until she kills _us_ " he snorted indignantly before Kregor's large metal hand grasped the soldier by his throat, lifting him up off of the ground with little trouble.

"No" Kregor rasped. "We're here to kill Shayera"

"Calm down Kregor, calm down" Dul assured him, placing a hand on Kregor's metal body.

"We're killing her though, right?" he asked in an almost pleading tone.

"Of course" she nodded. "Now put him down" she asked before Kregor set the soldier down on the ground, rather unceremoniously.

"Don't confuse me, my head doesn't work so good since…" he started before frowning and trying to think. ""It doesn't work so good! But I remember that it's Shayera's fault I'm this way… right?"

"Right, that's right" Dul nodded. "She hurt us all, and we're going to hurt her back". That wasn't completely true however. While Kregor was Hro Talak's chief lieutenant during the invasion, it wasn't Shayera's fault for his injury. The true cause was Martian Manhunter. The Martian's telepathic assault on the Thanagarian left his brain with severe damage, an entirely unintended side effect. As a result, Kregor's body was left paralysed. In order to help him move again, he had to be placed inside the exoskeleton. As a result, his wings were surgically removed so that he could fit inside.

However, despite their best medical efforts, his mental damage could not be repaired as easily.

"I'm just saying" the soldier grunted as he stood up again. "Shayera Hol was an instructor in our espionage division. She's better trained than all of us put together"

Dul gave him an unimpressed look. "Then we'll just have to out think her, won't we?"

* * *

Thanks to Flint's sandstorm, the League was able to take shelter further in the jungle. From their hiding place, they could see one of the Thanagarian soldiers flying overhead. Vigilante drew his pistol, trying to get a bead on him before Shayera lowered his arm.

"Hold your fire"

"What?" He asked in confusion. "That's loco! I got him!"

"He wouldn't be flying so low unless he wanted to be seen" Shayera responded coolly, watching the scout carefully.

"You think he's a stalking-horse to trick us into revealing our position" Vixen sated as Flint rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Gotta admit, it almost work" he said with a frown.

"What makes you so sure that's what he's doin'?" Vigilante protested.

"Because that's exactly what I would do. And I'm one of them" Shayera answered.

"To quote Vig, 'Horse Hockey'. Shayera you're not one of them. You're one of us" Sandman said seriously, drawing her attention. "You have to stop punishing yourself over everything. I'll admit, you did make a mistake, but you rectified it. You can't just let everyone beat you down because of it when you already know what you did was wrong" he argued. "You apologised, you served your penance. You're one of us now, and don't you forget it!"

"He's right you know" Vixen nodded. "I'll admit, we haven't exactly seen eye to eye since your return. But I'm not about to abandon you here. You can consider the slate wiped clean now"

Vigilante twirled his pistol around on his finger before nodding. "All things considered, might as well save the one hawk worth saving. You did help to save the world after all, and I owe ya that much. Now come on Miss Special Ops, where to?"

Shayera looked to them in surprise before nodding, a reluctant smile coming over her face as she lead them down the path again, her team mates close behind. After walking through the jungle some more, Vigilante spoke up.

"Hey Vix? Why don't you use them animal powers of yours to give us a leg up?" he asked as Vixen raised her eyebrow in response.

"I live in a loft in Chelsea, Vig. What makes you think I know anything about the jungle?"

Vigilante took off his hat, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment as Flint smirked, shaking his head. As much fun as it was to watch his team mate and friend dig a bigger hole, they still had a major problem that needed addressing.

"Shayera does your plan involve wandering aimlessly through the jungle?" he asked.

"I do have an idea, I just wanted to get under some deeper foliage first" she answered, peeking the interest of her team mates as they turned to her expectantly. "We should split up. Flint, you come with me. Vig, go with Vixen. We'll spread out and find their ship. We can either use it to get back to Earth or call for help. Whatever we have the time for"

"Might be easier if there weren't so many hawks in the sky…"Vigilante mused. "Think we should thin the herd first?"

"No. We can't afford to slow down for anything. The second they even suspect what we're doing, they'll move the ship into orbit and we'll never get to it. We'll have to be sneaky and smart about this" Shayera said.

"If that's the case we'd better get a move on then" Flint nodded, turning to the others. "Get a move on you two. And good luck"

"I'll try to keep him in one piece" Vixen smirked before she and Vigilante moved off on their own.

Shayera watched the two leave before nodding with her own smile. "Good luck"

* * *

As Vigilante and Vixen started their own solo trek through the jungle, their travel initially started as a quiet affair. However, after ten minutes of awkward silence, Vigilante finally cleared his throat in order to start a conversation.

"So, we found out what Flint was doin' during the invasion. What were you up to?"

"I was fighting them off mostly. To be fair I couldn't handle too many on my own, but if there was ever one out on their own or even a pair of them I could usually take them down no problem" she shrugged. "Managed to clear quite a few out of my neighbourhood. What about you cowboy?"

"Who me? Oh uh… I tried fightin' them too, but they locked me up for a bit. I gotta say, it was pretty humiliatin', stuck in a cell for the duration of it" He shrugged.

"Oh you were probably nowhere near as bad as you think. You're tough, you're a fighter you're… you're hurt!" she said suddenly, noticing a rather nasty gash on his leg. Vigilante merely shrugged in response.

"I was in a fight. It's no matter to me" he stated bluntly.

"Ugh… men" she groaned, rolling her eyes before taking a strip from the torn part of Vigilante's pant leg and fastening it around the wound. "That should hold it for a bit. Just try not to be too hard on it"

"Much obliged" he nodded, tipping his hat to her. Despite the bandana, she could easily tell he was smiling underneath. "If you don' mind me askin', why are you bein' so nice to Hawkgirl?"

"Well, it's like Flint said. She's already suffered for her mistake, and she's trying to make amends. I can't be too petty with her over John if she's already trying so hard" she explained.

Vigilante nodded, slightly reluctantly at that. "I guess you're right darlin', no need to kick her while she's down"

She smirked at him, raising an eyebrow in response. "Darlin?" she asked, before laughing at the hints of a blush that peeked out from under his bandana.

Before he could retort, a sudden laser blast forced them to duck down and avoid the shots fired their way. Vigilante quickly took out his pistols, firing back and smirking as he heard a cry of pain. A Thanagarian soldier fell out from a tree a second later, clutching a wounded wing. A second soldier started flying towards them as Vixen pulled her teammate back.

"No time for a shootout cowboy, we gotta move!" she called before picking Vigilante up and using the speed of a cheetah to race away from danger.

* * *

"So what's with the sudden change Shayera?" Flint asked, trekking through the jungle behind his teammate.

"What do you mean?"

"Well one minute you're nothing but hard on yourself, now all of a sudden you're ready to take on the whole world" he explained.

"Well, maybe I just needed the pep talk" she smirked, giving Flint a moment of confusion before he smirked in return.

"That's more like it" he nodded before a blast of energy ripped through his face scattering his sand everywhere. Shayera barely had time to respond before Kregor landed on the ground in front of her. He swung a massive fist at her, while two other soldiers used their rifles to pin down Flint.

"You took Commander Talak from us Shayera, and your friend… the green one… did something to my mind. Something bad!" the armoured Thanagarian growled as he stomped towards her, cracking the knuckles of his exoskeleton threateningly. He suddenly looked down pensively as Shayera watched him carefully. "I miss Commander Talak. I miss being able to think without pain. But no one's gonna miss you!" he roared, raising both fists.

However, he was suddenly knocked aside by an orange blur, just as a sudden stream of bullets forced the soldiers away from Flint, finally giving him a chance to stand up.

"It's about damn time!" Flint laughed as Vixen landed next to him, Vigilante by her side.

"You okay Shayera?" Vixen asked as their leader nodded.

"Yeah I'm fine, what about you?"

"I'm fine, but Vig is hurt" she answered, gesturing to Vigilante who was keeping the Thanagarians at a distance. However, his bloodstained leg was clearly visible. "I'll buy you some time to get him to safety" she announced before using the strength of an elephant to continue her assault on Kregor, pushing him back before pinning him on top of the other soldiers. "I got this, go!" she urged as Shayera shook her head.

"I can't leave you behind!"

"I'm right behind you. I'll ditch as soon as you guys are clear!"

Shayera nodded before she and Flint carefully helped Vig to escape the sudden attacking force. Vixen watched them leave, making sure they were safe before she turned back to Kregor with a smirk. She simply sat cross legged on him, continuing to keep him pinned down.

"You're wasting your time" she taunted, not seeing Kregor lift his arm behind her. "Right now, it's like an elephant is sitting on you- AH!" she screeched in pain as Kregor suddenly struck her with an electricity charged fist, knocking her away.

She fell to the ground, twitching feebly and groaning in pain as the soldiers stood back up. One marched over to her, raising a rifle as he intended to finish her off.

"Wait, Wait! Don't shoot, please!" she begged as the soldier sneered in response.

"I can't think of a good reason not to"

"Because I can give you Shayera Hol. You still want her?" She asked, looking up at the soldier carefully, who seemed to be considering his options. Kregor meanwhile, simply pushed him out of the way before leering down at the Leaguer, then picking her up by the waist, gripping her tightly in his massive hand.

"I'm supposed to believe you would give me your teammate? Ha! I'm brain damaged, not stupid"

Vixen simply glared at him in response. "My animal senses are a hundred times more acute than yours. I can find her with ease"

"And why would you want to?" The other soldier scoffed.

"You mean besides saving myself?" she asked, before quickly coming up with another reason. "Shayera and I… we want the same man" she answered them. That might have been true a few weeks ago, but now she had gotten over it. She knew that Green Lantern wouldn't ever want to have a relationship with her, and she was willing to move on to some else.

That didn't stop her from adding a little extra heartbreak to her voice in order to sell the realism.

"Enough of this" the same soldier groaned before raising his rifle until Kregor stopped him.

"Wait! I believe her" he stated before dropping her to the ground roughly. "Lead the way"

She started to stand, before falling back down and clutching her ankle painfully. "Any of you got a med kit?"

"We've got an analgesic projective back in the ship" one of the soldiers answered before glaring. "After you help us"

"If you want me in condition to track someone over this terrain, you'll take me to it right now" she retorted.

"Do it" Kregor ordered them. Despite their reluctance and surprise, neither was willing to get on the bad side of the large cyborg. One of the soldiers picked Vixen up before flying her to their ship, Kregor and the other not too far behind.

Just a minute away, they had arrived at a horseshoe-shaped craft. Its hull was dented and worn, but was clearly still serviceable. The damage to the ship itself certainly confirmed the story that the Thanagarian Empire had fallen against their Gordanian adversaries. Kregor waited patiently outside the draft as the soldiers took Vixen inside. Once there, they placed her on a table as one handed her a bronze rod and knelt by her feet.

"This will kill the pain" he said before Vixen suddenly smirking. Then, without warning, she kicked at him with her now uninjured legs, striking him across the face like a Cassowary into the other solider, knocking both of them out cold. She smiled at her handiwork before slipping the rod into his hand.

"You'll be needing that when you wake up" she said before running into the cockpit. Since the newer Javelin designs were based on Thanagarian technology it wasn't hard for her to locate the communication device. 'I could even pilot this if I needed to' she mused before locking on to the Watchtower's frequency.

"J'onn its Vixen, can you hear me? Over"

Static was heard from the other end before a familiar voice finally answered her. "Barely. Increase your H.M. gain, over"

Vixen did as she was asked before continuing. "We've been ambushed by a bunch of Thanagarians who have a serious grudge against Shayera, over" she said before frowning at the sudden radio silence. "J'onn? J'onn!" she called out before she heard the cocking of a gun behind her.

"Paran Dul stood behind her, a pistol held in one hand against Vixen's head, and the wires that belonged to the communication systems in the other.

"I don't think he heard you human"

* * *

Shayera paced impatiently, waiting for Vixen to return. Vigilante was sitting near a pond while Flint tied his wound up with some bandages he located in the wreckage of the Javelin.

"She's taking too long" Shayera suddenly announced. "I'm going back for her"

"You can't just leave!" Flint interjected as Vigilante nodded.

"He's right. The only reason she ain't back, is because the hawks got her. You already figured that, so where are you really goin'?"

She sighed before turning to face them. "I'm going to turn myself in. Maybe they'll let her go if I give them what they want"

"Shayera we've been over this" Flint groaned. "You can't just go out there, they'll kill you!"

"You think I don't know that? The only reason Im doing it is so that they don't kill Vixen too!" She barked before straightening up. "Flint, I need you to stay here, and take care of Vigilante. If any more Thanagarians shown up, there will be better odds with the two of you"

Flint seemed to mull her words over for a moment before he finally sighed in defeat. "Fine. Just be safe out there. And if there is a chance you both can get back safe, you take it" he said seriously.

"I will" she nodded before flying off. Once she was gone, Vigilante turned back to Sandman.

"You got a plan?"

"Course I do" Flint smirked. "Obviously those Thanagarians aren't about to leave us alone. SO I say we set a trap"

"What sort of trap?"

* * *

An hour later, a lone Thanagarian scout was trudging through the underbrush before finding the pond, with Vigilante across the water. The cowboy was hunched over the water, cleaning his face as the Thanagarian smirked.

"Appears you got the drop on me partner" Vigilante spoke. Before the soldier could raise his weapon, Flint burst from the water, using the sand to pin the Thanagarian to a tree, his whole body encased in sand up to his neck.

"May have been a little early on your surrender there partner" Flint smirked as Vigilante walked over.

"Too true. Now you, me, and my sandy friend here are gonna have a little powwow concerning the location of your spaceship" he spoke, idly twirling his pistol.

* * *

Shayera frowned to herself as she stood across from Paran Dul, Kregor, and her entire squadron of soldiers. Kregor happened to be holding Vixen by her head, the only thing stopping her teammate from falling. With the Thanagarians currently 100 feet up in the air, that was a less than desired scenario.

Shayera flew up in the air until she was right across from them as Dul gave her an appraising look. "Would you care to surrender now? Or shall I have Kregor do something unseemly to your friend?"

Shayera glared at them. "Let her go and I'm yours. No tricks"

"I'm sure. Drop your mace and we have a deal"

Shayera looked at the soldiers carefully, weighing her options. On the one hand, she could easily take them all down, even Kregor if she had to. On the other hand, she didn't want to put her teammate's life in danger for it. Finally, she raised her mace, showing it to them before she dropped it into the jungle below where it disappeared in the foliage.

Paran smirked in triumph before gesturing to her. Two solders flew forward, grasping Shayera's arms as Kregor sudden grinned sadistically. Then to Shayera's horror he dropped Vixen, watching her fall with glee.

"NO!" Shayera yelled, struggling against the hold of her captors. But it was futile, even if she got free shouldn't reach her in time.

Thankfully (And to the confusion and horror of Paran Dul), the Thanagarian's ship suddenly soared over the trees, racing to intercept the falling form of Vixen.

"Who's flying my ship?!" she demanded before being struck in the stomach by Shayera's mace, it being thrown from the trees by Flint.

"Okay I got to get me one of those!" he grinned.

Inside the ship meanwhile, Vigilante wrestled with the controls, trying to keep the ship on a steady course as he flew towards Vixen.

"Consarned, dang-busted, horse-theivin', alien control panel which ain't nobody can work proper! Who thought this was a good design?!" he cursed before finally getting it under control and positioning it under Vixen as he rose in the air. "I'm comin' darlin'!" he said, pulling up as Vixen landed on the roof, grasping the wing for dear life.

She looked at the ship in confusion before suddenly smiling when she heard Vigilante from inside. "YEE-HAH!" the cowboy howled in triumph as Shayera seized the opportunity to get free from her captors and knock them both out as they plummeted. More soldiers started to fly towards her and she got ready. She might prefer having her mace, but even unarmed she was more than a match for them.

From the ground below, Flint called up to Kregor. "Hey big and ugly! What say you come down here and I turn you into a rotisserie chicken?" he taunted. Kregor growled in response before jumping down to the ground, landing with a deep thud as he glared darkly at the Sandman.

"You!" he roared.

"Me!" Flint laughed. 'Gotta thank the Web0head for that one later' he laughed inwardly as the cyborg Thanagarian charged at him. Flint made a mallet in response before sweeping low and striking Kregor's leg. The larger foe tripped at the sudden lack of balance, falling forwards before skidding along the ground.

"Don't tell me you're down already" Flint taunted. "I mean, flightless birds are supposed to be dangerous right?"

Kregor saw red at this before leaping to his feet. "I'll crush you. I'LL DESTROY YOU!" he declared before charging again and swinging wildly. The fact that each swing only seemed to pass through him harmlessly only infuriated him more. Flint, merely stood still, smirking at him before noticed something shining in the bushes to his left.

Recognizing it as Shayera's hammer, he made a dive for it before pacing it up, baiting Kregor forward by turning his back on him.

"I have you now!" Kregor smirked, raising both fists over his head as Flint grinned.

"Well, the bigger they are, the harder you fall" Flint retorted before swinging the mace around with all of his strength and striking Kregor in the stomach. The end result was a massive dent in his armour as he suddenly clutched his stomach in pain before falling forwards.

Flint looked at the downed Thanagarian for a moment before nodding. "Oh yeah, I definitely need one of these"

* * *

Vixen carefully crawled along the wing of the still flying ship as he made her way towards the door. However, just as she was about to climb in the door, a sudden white blur flew into her, knocking them both inside.

The impact rocked the ship rather roughly, Vigilante struggling to regain control as he looked back to see Vixen battling Paran Dul. "Do you folks mind?! Doomed driver up here!"

Paran Dul tossed Vixen into the wall of the ship before repeatedly striking her. Vixen groaned in pain from the impact of the blows before countering with her own flurry of punches and kicks, slowly forcing Paran back. However, Paran Dul wasn't down as she picked Vixen up before slamming her to the floor. Vixen swung her legs around to trip the Thanagarian before she kicked out with both of her feet, catching Dul in the chest and knocking her out of the ship. After taking a moment to close the door, she walked into the cockpit before collapsing in a chair next to Vigilante.

Vigilante tipped his hat to her. "You okay?" he asked in a caring tone.

"I will be if you let me drive" she countered before leaning over and kissing his cheek. "Thanks for the save cowboy" she smirked, causing him to blush in return.

* * *

Shayera had finally finished fighting the last of her opponents before she flew down to the ground for a breather. She hadn't fought trained soldiers like that for a long time, and she was exhausted as a result. She looked up in an attempt to locate the others, only to see Flint walk over holding her mace.

"I gotta tell you, that this is awesome" he grinned before handing it back. "But it's yours"

"Thanks" she nodded breathlessly before the commandeered Thanagarian ship hovered over them. The ramp opened up to reveal Vixen who smiled at them.

"You two need a lift?"

* * *

After their triumphant return to the Watchtower, the away team immediately reported what happened. Once they were assured that the Green Lantern Corps would send out a team to arrest the Thanagarians, Vigilante was moved onto a stretcher.

The medics immediately ran diagnostics on him as they wheeled him down to the medical bay, Vixen close by as she followed them. Flint smirked at that, noting how much closer they seemed on the trip back home.

"Called it" he laughed before John walked over to him and Shayera.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking more urgently to Shayera than Flint.

To his credit Flint didn't really mind as he left the couple to themselves. "I'm fine John, really" Shayera assured him as he smiled kindly in response. "I just had a bad reunion, that's all"

"You wanna talk about it over dinner?" the lantern offered. After a moment to consider it, she nodded before linking arms with him. As they walked off, she turned to look at Flint.

"Thanks for the pep talk back there Flint" she called gratefully, as Flint nodded in response.

"Hey, anything for a friend"

* * *

 **And it's done!**

 **I gotta say, this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would be. But I hope it turned out okay in the end.**

 **As always, be sure to read and review! And be ready for the next adventure, for CADMUS makes their next move!**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	20. The Catalyst

**And now for an extra long chapter of Sandman Unlimited!**

 **Alright guys, we're finally here. The end of the first arc is close. Really close. Just five (maybe six) more chapters and then the CADMUS arc is officially done.**

 **As for why this chapter is extra long, it's a combination of two episodes; "Question Authority" and "Flashpoint". I combined them together for two reasons. 1) It just flowed really well together, and I didn't want to break it up, and 2) Because the chapter for Question Authority would have been noticeably longer than "Flashpoint" to the point where Flashpoint would only have about 4200 words, and that is no fun! So, enjoy and over 10000 (10005 to be precise) word chapter.**

 **But first, as always, Question time!:**

 **Nicochan11: Unfortunately no, but if I can find room for these characters in the future, I will.**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Thank you for the warm welcome! It's great to be back.**

 **Johnathen: Oh he will be.**

 **kival737101: Honestly I was a fan of that ship before I read Ben 10: Unlimited, but I can understand why you would think that. I just thought the episode hinted at it too much to ignore.**

 **Lucian Naruto: Oh the Secret Invasion. Well there were villains replaced during that event, so Flint would definitely recognize that. A reference to it was already made in "Dark Heart" but I should bring it up again at some point. It could be fun.**

 **Thanks again for the reviews! I appreciate each and every single one. They all help and they give me a lot of good feedback and ideas. Keep 'em coming!**

 **DISCLAIMER: The following is a non-profit fan-based homage and fanfiction. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney, The Justice League, Huntress, and all related characters are owned by DC comics, and Warner Bros. Please support the official release!**

 **And away we go, with this EXTRA LONG SPECIAL EPISODE OF SANDMAN UNLIMITED!**

* * *

Far beyond the reaches of Earth's solar system, near the other side of the galaxy, there exists a hellish planet. The residents are divided into two main groups; the salves, and the violent "new gods" who rule over them with an iron clad fist. This planet is known as Apokolips, and all of its denizens are violent, battle-ready individuals. Armed to the teeth, and frighteningly powerful, enough that they were challenges even for Superman. They were once ruled by Darkseid, the embodiment of death and destruction. However, in the wake of his death, the plant had been thrust into a civil war as a result of the power vacuum.

One of the many residents was one named Mantis. He wore a green bodysuit, possessing the ability to fire crackling bolts of energy in addition to his incredible strength. Mantis sneered in contempt at the frightened citizens of Metropolis below him.

"Here is where I make my stand! Here is where I shall carve out the kingdom I am destined for!" he yelled maniacally before using his incredible strength to tear away a piece of the building he stood on, throwing it down to the street below. "Bow before the power of Mantis!"

However, before the debris could even reach the ground, a bolt of blue energy struck it, vaporizing it entirely. Then, a massive sandy fist struck the villain from behind, knocking him down to the roof of one of the neighbouring buildings. He stood up with a grunt before looking around. "Who dares?!"

The sandy fist then formed the body of a smirking Sandman, who folded his arms as he was flanked by two of his teammates; Superman, and Captain Atom, who was responsible for destroying the chunk of roof. "We dare"

"Is it just me, or are the world conquerors getting mouthier?" Captain Atom asked as Superman shrugged.

"He's from Apokolips, they're all pretty mouthy there" he explained.

"And I thought the villains in my world were bad. They were almost looking for any excuse to go on a ranting monologue" Sandman laughed, thinking of villains like Doctor Octopus or even the Wizard.

Mantis grit his teeth before yelling in rage and firing a beam of energy at the heroes. The beam struck Flint head on, but instead of passing through his sand harmlessly, it instead froze him solid as the ice-encased hero fell off the roof. Superman flew down quickly to catch his team mate while Captain Atom kept the villain busy.

Using his heat vision to thaw out his friend, Flint landed on another rooftop before smirking. "Holy crap, he can hit me? Clark can he be my villain now?" he laughed.

"That would be the Apokoliptan tech he carries. Even I don't know what it can do" he laughed before Captain Atom fell on the roof next to them.

"You okay Atom?" Flint asked, helping him up.

"Just peachy" he nodded. Before Superman could add anything, Mantis collided with the hero, sending them both through the neighbouring sky scraper. The duelling aliens eventually landed on the street below, with Captain Atom and Sandman close behind.

"Bow down before your better, Man of Steel!" Mantis cackled before a blast of gamma radiation sent him flying forwards, right into Flint's waiting mallet. One full power swing from Flint was enough to knock the villain down into a nearby subway tunnel that was long since abandoned due to the brawl going on outside.

"You okay Superman?" Atom asked as the man of steel nodded, holding his head gingerly.

"Just needed a second. Let's get him"

"What's the story on this Mantis guy Clark?" Flint asked as the three ran towards the sewer.

"There's a civil war on his home planet. Guess he thought things would be easier here" he mused.

"Well what do you know? The egomaniac villain was wrong. Must be a day that ends in y!" Flint said cynically as the three descended the stairs, only to dodge another bolt of energy fired at them by the villain. Another bolt collided with Captain Atom, sending the hero flying back into the wall.

"You okay?" Flint asks, stopping to check on his friend.

"Yeah…" he grunted weakly before standing up slowly. "I'm okay, it'll just take me a second to adjust to the energy" he answered before standing straight up a moment later, seemingly ore energised than before. He brought his hands together before firing an extra powerful burst of energy at the villain, causing him to collide with one of the parked trains. Before he could recover, Superman used his own flurry of punches to weaken the villain more as he suddenly pressed a button on the grey box Mantis possessed.

A sudden crack of thunder was heard as a large swirling vortex opened behind Mantis. Despite the three heroes standing back a fair way, they could feel the massive pull from the vortex anyway.

"What in Sam Hill is that?" Captain Atom asked.

"I'm with the Captain here, what exactly is that?" Flint agreed.

"A Boom Tube" Superman answered, head butting the villain and forcing him to take a step back. "An extradimensional doorway back to Apokolips"

"Got it, now duck!" Captain Atom nodded before firing one last bolt of energy. Superman dodged just in time as Mantis was forced back into the swirling vortex. Just seconds later, the vortex closed, leaving just the mother box on the floor where it used to be.

"Nice work you two" Superman smiled as Captain Atom nodded appreciatively to him.

"Thanks" He nodded before destroying the mother box with a blast of energy.

"So, what are you up to now?" Flint asked before they were suddenly joined by another voice.

"Superman!" the voice called, as the heroes turned to see Lois Lane running down the steps towards them, dodging some of the debris. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet"

He simply smirked lightly, rolling his eyes playfully. "Yeah Lois, I know"

She smirked in return, folding her arms. "Would you care to comment on what just happened here? I'd like an interview… one on one"

Flint and Captain Atom shared a knowing smirk with each other. In the months following Clark's revelation to Lois about his identity, the two had since started an official relationship. While managing to keep the secret well, they still had a fairly flirtatious tone with each other when on the job.

"I'm pretty sure there's something we have to do someplace. Right Sandman?" Atom smirked.

"Yep. Probably a cat stuck in a tree somewhere" he laughed as the two walked out, leaving Clark alone with Lois. Once they were gone, Lois turned to Superman, raising her eyebrow.

"You're late"

Superman merely grinned with a small shrug. "I was busy"

"Like I wasn't?" she retorted before looking at her notepad. "But I've already written the story up and filed it, so know that we're both off the clock…"

She didn't have the chance to continue her thought as Superman picked her up bridal style before flying through a hole in the all made during the battle, and taking Lois away on a date.

Outside, Flint and Captain Atom were having a rather animated conversation themselves. "So Captain, now that we're done here how about you join Wally, John, and I for poker night? We've got Oliver bringing the pizza and beer"

The radioactive hero thought for a moment before nodding. "You know what? That sounds pretty darn good right about-"

"Captain Adams" a stern voice suddenly said as the two turned to see General Wade Eiling standing next to a military vehicle. "Captain Nathaniel Adams"

The Captain raised an eyebrow in confusion as he walked towards the again general. "General Eiling sir, what brings you…" he started before the General handed him a file. "What's this?"

"Orders" the General answered, folding his arms behind his back and puffing his chest out. "Your commission has been reactivated. You're back in the Air Force" Captain Atom looked uneasy as Flint's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I'm committed to the Justice League now sir" he said plainly as the General frowned.

"You also made a commitment to the Service Captain" he said, not even blinking. "Seems to me, you've got a decision to make"

The General left the two heroes there before stepping into the car and driving off. Flint watched him leave before folding his arms with a frown. "This doesn't bode well"

* * *

Meanwhile, inside an office building in downtown Metropolis, Question was attempting to download encrypted files from a government database. This was far from the first database he had stolen information from, the only difficulty he had was due to the large amount of security guards in the facility that had showed up to arrest him for breaking and entering. Luckily for the Question, Huntress was there to help with keeping the guards at bay.

Huntress may have been kicked out of the Justice League, but she and Question still kept a rather close personal relationship. Whenever she needed help on a raid Question was right there with her, or whenever Question needed backup, Huntress was willing to lend a hand.

The dangerous female vigilante was dressed in her normal purple costume, with high-heeled boots, and a long cape in addition to her crowned mask. Strapped around her waist was a utility belt full of various gadgets, not to mention a quiver for her crossbow's bolts.

"You really know how to show a girl a good time Q" she said sarcastically, grabbing a guards arm and flipping him over her shoulder before roundhouse kicking another in his stomach. "When are we going on a _real_ date?"

"Shh! Trying to concentrate!" Question replied, typing away furiously at the keyboard.

"I'm not even in the Justice League anymore. You're lucky to have me along" she continued, using a chair to knock another guard unconscious.

"Hardly" Question scoffed. "You're drawn to my eccentric charm"

She rolled her eyes, kicking another guard across the face as Question ejected a USB drive from the computer he was working on.

"Finished"

"Me too" she nodded, dusting her hands off.

"Not quite" Question replied before grabbing the computer he was working on and throwing it into one last guard who had attempted to get the drop on Huntress while her back was turned.

"You get what you came for?" she asked curiously, as she hadn't actually been told what it was that Question was after.

"I believe so. If there's a link between Luthor and CADMUS, I'll find it here" he said triumphantly, holding up the drive for her to see.

"Which will leave the rest of our evening tantalizingly free" she responded with a coy smile, only for Question to shake his head.

"There are three terabytes of data here. I'll be busy for days" he replied absentmindedly, completely missing the glare she shot him. In response, Huntress immediately swiped the USB from his hand as Question finally noticed the less than impressed look she was giving him.

"Dinner and a movie?" he sighed nervously.

"It's a start" she relented before tucking the drive away in her belt safely.

* * *

Luthor was uncharacteristically nervous as he entered into Dr. Hamilton's office. Despite the doctor's assurance that he was fine, he was still worried about the state of his cancer. He shuddered to think of what would happen if it persisted any further. That was part of the reason he was happy to be working with CADMUS; their medical facility was far and beyond any other medical care in the world.

"Take off your chest plate, you don't need it" Hamilton ordered plainly, before pressing a button on the vest's shoulder. There was a brief hissing before the vest fell apart into two pieces, much to Luthor's horror.

"What are you doing? I'll die without this!" Luthor demanded. That vest was the only thing stopping his cancer from spreading any further than it already had. Taking off the vest, even for a minute, could kill him. "The cancer…" he started again.

"Is gone Lex" Hamilton interrupted. "You're in remission. No, that's not accurate" the doctor shook his head before showing Lex the test results. "There's no trace of the disease, as if it were _never_ there!"

"That's preposterous" the billionaire scoffed, looking at the results for himself.

"You've got the body of a twenty year old. And you don't have cancer"

"How?" Luthor questioned.

Hamilton then shrugged with a frown. "I don't know" he admitted. "It might have been the vest, it might be an unexpected side effect of the Kryptonite poisoning that gave you the disease in the first place. I'll continue to study the…" he trailed off as Waller entered the room with her usual stern look in full force.

"I'm in the middle of my physical Mrs. Waller" Lex said with an annoyed voice. With this new development in his health, he wanted to know as much about it as he possibly could.

"You might be in the middle of a hornet's nest. Huntress and Question have copied files from a high-security CADMUS terminal" she said sternly, folding her arms.

Luthor looked at her in brief alarm before raising an eyebrow. "What did they get?"

"Tech support can't tell for certain, and Wizard has only now started a full diagnostic. Maybe everything" Waller said as she took on a look of worry; something that unsettled Hamilton greatly.

Luthor turned around, thinking for a moment before taking a deep breath and placing his hands on the table. "For all our sakes, we'd better hope that the encryption on those files is as good as we've been told"

"We might not have to" General Eiling said, walking in alongside Wizard and Captain Atom.

"What is he doing here Eiling?" Waller demanded.

"Relax, he's ours now. After telling him his commission reopened I knew he'd come back to us, just like any good soldier would. Then I gave him his new assignment; our personal weapon against the Man of Steel"

"I can't imagine he was willing to do that on his own" Luthor drawled.

"He wasn't" Wizard answered, shaking his head. "But then again, making people do things against their will is my specialty" he smirked before pointing to a small device on Captain Atom's forehead. It looked like a small silver bar, with one blinking red light. "This device makes him susceptible to our every command. Observe" he said before handing Captain Atom a stuffed toy. "Disintegrate this"

Captain Atom took the toy, and after a second his hand glowed green before the toy was vaporised by gamma radiation.

"Remarkable…" Hamilton breathed as Eiling nodded.

"With Captain Atom and Galatea, we're now ready for anything the League can throw at us"

* * *

Question grinned behind his mask, completely unlike his normal neutral demeanour. He was excited, absolutely brimming with anticipation. He'd been hunting down CADMUS' secrets for months, and now he was finally able to sift through them all, and expose everything that he could. After an agonizing few hours, he finally finished decrypting the last of the files as he eagerly opened them.

'Finally. The connection between CADMUS and Luthor' he thought to himself in satisfaction.

He poured over the files, taking in as much as he could before eventually coming across one that piqued his interest more so than the rest. It was labelled "President Luthor", and he couldn't help but be more than a little curious. He clicked on the file, only to find another inside labelled "Oval Office".

Now more intrigued than ever, the opened the file before playing the video inside. At first, nothing. Then a red glow from the screen was suddenly reflected on his face as Question's hidden expression took on a look of horror. "Oh no. No, no, NO!"

"It's all connected… Not alternate reality… _time loop_. Luthor becomes the President… Flash is killed… Superman kills Luthor in retaliation… Superhuman arms race. Armageddon, end of the world… inevitable!" Question mumbled, pondering over everything furiously. He hadn't managed his own appearance for days. His hygiene was lacking as was his sleep. He did nothing but pour over the same video over and over. He stared at the board of connections he had spent the last few years making… finally it all made sense. It all came together.

And it horrified him.

He punched the board in frustration, bruising his knuckles as his fist soared through it. "Is the future immutable?! Can destiny be changed? Will _they_ allow it?" He cried out in exasperation as the lock on his apartment door was picked by Huntress, who stepped in before looking around curiously.

"Screening your calls?" She asked with a frown. "You haven't answered the phone in days" she continued before finally smelling the overwhelming scent of the apartment and grimacing. "Ugh, it's rank in here. Is that you?"

Question however, continued to mutter incoherently, oblivious to Huntress. "Have to try. Alternative unthinkable"

"Q?" she asked in worry before placing a hand on his shoulder, suddenly calling his attention. "Are you alright?"

"Have to go!" he said seriously before rushing to the door, grabbing his hat on the way out. "Can't let it happen again!"

Huntress simply watched him leave with a mixture of shock and confusion before she finally noticed the video on his computer that seemed to be playing on a loop. Curious as to what Question was working on, she stepped closer, seeing an image of Superman standing in front of the President's Desk in the White House. The president in question?

None other than Lex Luthor.

" _There are at least six different ways I could stop you right now_ " the Superman on the recording said.

" _But they all involve lethal force, don't they?_ " the Luthor sneered. " _And it wasn't the 'law' or the 'will of the people' that stopped you. It was your ego; being a hero was too important to you. You're as much responsible for this as I am. So go ahead, fix it somehow, put me on trial, lock me up! But I'll beat it. And then we'll start the whole thing over again_ "

Superman simply glared in response at Luthor. " _I did love being a hero, but if this is where it leads then I'm done with it"_ she said dangerously before his eyes glowed red.

Huntress could only widen her eyes in shock at what she saw. "Oh my God…" she muttered.

* * *

"So Clark, how was your anniversary dinner?" Flint asked with a small smirk, before grunting under the weight of the console he was lifting. Martian Manhunter wanted to have some maintenance done on the electronics of the Watchtower and Superman was more than willing to comply. Unfortunately, the components they wanted to update were under the main console.

Luckily when you have the combined strength of Sandman and Superman lying around, those jobs are made easier. Even more so with Commander Steel and Aztek to assist.

"It was quite nice thank you very much. Four months just flew by" he chuckled. "What about you and Z?"

"Our ten month isn't for another week, but I'm certainly excited. Hard to believe I've been here just over a year" he laughed before a harsh scent caught him by surprise. "Okay, who forgot to open a window?" he coughed before the two saw Question walk up to them. "Oh god, Vic is that you?"

Question, however, ignored Sandman, instead choosing to walk up to Superman.

"Something I can help you with?" Superman asked as he and Flint lowered the console again.

"I hope so. But I assume you don't want to discuss your White House weenie roast in front of a crowd" the faceless detective replied, before cocking his head to the other Leaguers (Sandman included) who were watching the two with sudden interest.

Superman's eyes widened before he frowned. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he looked at Flint and the two leaguers who were helping him earlier. "I'll be back in a few minutes" he said before leading Question away so they could talk.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Aztek asked, folding his arms.

"I don't know… but it can't be good" Sandman frowned.

* * *

In the Watchtower there existed a room that only founders were allowed in. This exclusion was heavily enforced, even to certain members who had been given promotions. Green arrow, Black Canary, Zatanna, Atom, and even Sandman; despite their higher rank compared to other members were not granted access. This was truly founders only.

Now, Superman opened the often locked door, revealing to Question what lay inside. There was a conference table with seven chairs in all; one for each founder. There was a single monitor on the far side of the room. Other than that, it was empty. Question looked around curiously before sitting in one of the chairs. "Always wondered what was in here. A Private conference room. Original members only, yes? A place where you're free to discuss your secrets and lies"

Superman glared in response. "You said something about me in the White House?"

"Not you exactly, but another version of you, hmm?" Question retorted, watching the man of steel carefully.

"Stop dancing around it" Superman said in frustration. "Tell me what you know"

"I know what you told everyone" Question began, taking a mocking and patronizing tone. "The Justice Lords, a parallel version of the Justice League, came to our world to rid it of crime just as they did on their own Earth. With Lex Luthor's help, our Justice League managed to oust them before they could impose their totalitarian will on our populace" he began before standing up and looking Superman straight in the eye. "I also know what you _didn't_ tell anyone, outside of the original seven founders of the Justice League. Not even your own cousin, not people like Green Arrow or Black Canary, members given responsibility almost equal to yours. On that other Earth, so very much like our own, a Superman, so _very_ much like you, _killed the President!_ "

Superman's hand immediately crushed the piece of the conference table it was wrapped around as Superman stared the faceless detective down. "Question, no one can know about this"

"Or what? You'll incinerate me too?" Questioned retorted.

Superman reeled in surprise at the idea. "I'd never do anything like that!"

"Wouldn't you? Didn't you try to lobotomize Doomsday with you heat-vision, just like the Justice Lord did?"

"That's different!"

"It's the same!" Question yelled, becoming more and more agitated. "A heavily armed Watchtower with an army of proactive heroes, Luthor running for President; if it's not quite the same, soon it will be. Have you seen Amanda Waller's computer simulations?"

"Batman told me about them…" Superman admitted, now dreading where the conversation was heading.

"Did he tell you all the models predict that a war between the Justice League and the government will devastate the planet?"

"We would never fight the government!" Superman said in shock.

Question, despite his hidden face, made it obvious that his eyebrow was raised in skepticism. "Not even if Luthor was the government?"

Superman could only stare at the detective, unwilling to answer. Question sagged, almost in disappointment before walking to the door. After a second, he paused before looking back. "Predestined… Flash will die, you will kill Luthor… Armageddon inevitable"

"Question…" Superman started, placing a hand on the vigilante's shoulder, only for Question to break from his grasp with a gasp of fear. Superman watched him with a worried expression before sighing. "I'm worried about you. You're mixed up. This world…. It isn't like the other one. We're not the Justice Lords, those thing's you're afraid of… they'll never happen here. I won't let them"

Question seemed to study him for a moment before walking out, without a word.

* * *

Lex Luthor hummed to himself, stepping into his office to look over a few papers that he had been sent by his science division. Wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the Question sitting in his chair until the faceless detective spun around to face him.

"The Question, isn't it?" Luthor asked, only now acknowledging him. "I believe you took something that belongs to me"

"Have you seen the latest polls?" Question asked, before tossing a paper onto the desk. "It's beginning to look like you're going to be our next President… Just like in that other world"

Luthor sat on his desk, a confident smile on his face as he watched the vigilante, in an almost amused way. "I wouldn't bet against me"

"No" Question agreed, in an almost amicable fashion. "It wouldn't be prudent" he continued before leaning forward. "I want you to understand something Luthor. Although my distaste for you as a human being is Brobdingnagian, what I'm about to do isn't personal"

"What are you babbling about?" Luthor asked in a bemused tone.

"Everything that exists has a specific nature. Each entity exists as something in particular and has characteristics that are a part of what it is" he answered, pulling his tie off. "'A' is 'A' and no matter what reality he calls home, Luthor is Luthor" he finished before standing up and moving around the desk to face Luthor. "If I'm to save the world, your existence must come to an end before you take office"

Luthor stared at him before laughing out loud, confusing the detective. "You're going to kill me so that Superman can't?"

Question shrugged. "I'm a well-known crackpot. The Justice League's reputation will survive my actions, and Superman's legacy will remain intact"

"Interesting plan" Luthor mused. "Unfortunately for you, it's not really an option"

Before Question could even reach out to strangle him, Luthor delivered a wicked backhand with enough power to send the hero flying back from the impact, colliding against the glass of the fish tank on the wall. He fell to the floor, moaning in pain as he tried to register what just happened. Luthor was not in any way capable of this strength, and yet he was struck with a blow he expected to come from Superman.

"President?" Luthor scoffed as Question slowly stood, grasping the detective's throat tightly. "Foolish, faceless man. My campaign is a farce. A small part of a much bigger scheme. Ha, President? Do you know how much power I'd have to give up to be President?" he laughed before delivering two punches to the man's face and tossing him into his desk.

Luthor smirked at Question's weakened form, knowing that the gears were already turning in his mind. "That's right conspiracy buff, I spent seventy-five million dollars on a fake presidential campaign, all just to tick Superman off" he laughed before punching the detective one last time and leaning in close.

"Now, about those files you stole from me…"

* * *

Superman frowned, completely lost in thought as he flew through Metropolis. The things Question said to him had put him on edge. What if the detective was right?

He shook those thoughts aside, regretting them quickly. How could he even think that?

"Hey Supes!" a voice called as Superman looked down to see Flint standing on the street below. "You've been a little detached since Question talked to you. You feeling okay?"

Superman flew down to meet him, before shaking his head. "I've just had a lot on my mind"

"Yeah I can see that. Hell, all things considered, I'm fairly certain most of us do" Flint nodded with a small laugh. "Just keep looking at what's really there, and not the blind fear. Like Lois… speakin' of which, how's she doin'?"

"I already answered that for you. Maybe I should ask you how Zatanna is?" Superman said with a coy smirk as Flint raised his hands in surrender.

"Fair enough. And for your information our anniversary dinner was very nice. Took her to the Iceberg Lounge, _very_ classy"

Before Superman could say any more, he looked up sharply, hearing the sound of one of the signal watches he made. After a second, he recognized which one it was immediately. "Jimmy!"

"What?" Flint asked in confusion before Superman grabbed his arm.

"No time to explain, just hold on!" he said before rocketing off with Flint in tow. After a minute he landed roughly on a rooftop, Flint's sand spraying everywhere from the impact.

"Uh God… warn a guy next time, will ya?" Flint groaned as he reformed.

Superman however, ignored him as he immediately looked around. "Jimmy?"

"Not exactly" a feminine voice replied before Huntress stepped out from behind a wall, holding a signal watch. "Some kind of hypersonic signal right? Keeps good time too" Huntress said with a small smirk.

Flint wasn't quite sure what to make of Huntress in the short time that he knew her. She was a Gotham vigilante, and a damn good one at that. However, she had a bit of a… violent streak that left her out of the favour of most of the League and leading to her eventual dismissal. While Flint didn't necessarily agree with her methods, he couldn't help but feel a kinship with her. Honestly she reminded him of his old boss Silver Sable.

Superman scowled before rushing forwards in a blur of motion and taking the watch from her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Your little pal is fine" she said plainly, before pointing to a bound and gagged, and very irate, Jimmy Olson. "I was just trying to get your attention. You guys really need a hotline"

"Well not everyone can afford a bat-signal" Flint joked as Superman looked at the struggling Jimmy.

"In a minute Jimmy. This better be good" he said sternly, looking at Huntress.

"Question's been missing for almost a week" she stated.

"And that's news for him?" Flint laughed. "After he helped with the clone business he was gone for a month searching for the key to what he believed was the Illuminati headquarters. We didn't find him until after he discovered it was a janitor's closet"

Huntress looked at him before shaking her head. "This is different. Just before he disappeared, he was behaving oddly… well oddly for him. He saw a fake tape of you, Superman, killing Lex Luthor, and then he freaked out and ran off"

Flint looked at her in surprise as Superman now had a look of worry, pressing a finger to his communicator. "Question, this is Superman. Come in please" he called before shaking his head. "Channel's open, but he's not answering. J'onn should be able to track his position though"

* * *

After retrieving coordinates from J'onn, the three heroes found themselves at a junkyard on the outskirts of Metropolis. Huntress had explained to them that she and Question found the data with the video after raiding a CADMUS outpost and stealing the information. After entering the dump they had managed to locate Question's communicator, abandoned on the ground.

Huntress picked it up, before immediately starting to dig through a pile of trash hysterically, searching for the detective. "I'll find you baby!" she said in desperation before Superman stopped her.

"Not here we won't" he reasoned as Flint nodded.

"He's right. They probably knew we could track the communicators. Ditching that as soon as possible would have been their best move, if they took him alive that is" Flint reasoned.

"It has to be CADMUS" she growled angrily. "But if they've got him, we'll never find him"

"Sure we will" Superman said. "After all, we've been keeping tabs on CADMUS for months. We know exactly where they are"

Flint and Huntress both looked at him in shock before she levelled a piercing glare his way. "And you didn't do anything? Can you believe that?" she said, rounding on Flint.

"Hey don't look at me. My world has too many shadowy government organizations to count, but they don't care that we know where they are. Hell, SHIELD flies over New York City 24/7 in a massive airship" he said before Superman cleared his throat to get their attention.

"The Justice League plays by the rules. We'll move when we have solid evidence, not before. And we'll move within the limits of the law"

"That's why I quit" Huntress said before turning her back in a huff.

"I thought you were fired?" Flint asked before raising his hands in surrender at her glare. "But, she does have a point. Once we noticed Question was missing, where else would we have busted in to look? Arkham?"

"All right fine" Superman relented. "All three of us will do this, and we'll do it off the books"

* * *

After a gruellingly awkward flight out to CADMUS headquarters in New Mexico, the three heroes looked briefly at the old factory that they were based out of.

"Gotta hand it to them. Being in a populated area is one hell of a deterrent" Flint frowned before observing the bustling city around them. CADMUS knew exactly how smart to play things if they didn't want to be found.

"Let's go" Superman said plainly before all three charged the door.

Within seconds, alarms were blaring all throughout the base as Superman and Flint punched down the door. While various scientists ran to look down their labs, a squadron of CADMUS' best soldiers stood armed and ready to gun down the heroes. Superman simply stood in front of Huntress as they opened fire, bullets harmlessly bouncing off of him, and flying harmlessly through Flint's sand.

"We're past the lead shielding" Superman explained before immediately melting their guns with his heat vision. "Didn't want you hit by a ricochet"

"So, I heard you did some black ops work" Huntress said to Flint with a smirk.

"Yep. Took down some crime lords, overthrew governments. Fought an evil clone. You know, basic stuff" he mused.

"Remember your training for that?" She asked, extending a Bo staff

"Always" Flint nodded before all three charged forwards. Thanks to Superman's invulnerability, he could shrug off every attack as he watched his teammates work. Huntress he expected this level of ferocity from, but Flint? Flint looked to be in his element; swinging mallets and maces, flinging men with tendrils of sand, pushing them back with large columns. It was his sudden ferocity that worried Superman. Was this what he used to be like?

However, after scanning the walls with his x-ray vision, he noticed someone he recognized. Blinking in surprise and then anger he suddenly marched to a wall. "Hold the fort. I've got some personal business" he growled before punching through wall after wall.

"Hey, take your time" Huntress ground before tossing another guard to Flint, who simply swatted him aside with a large hand.

"Yeah, not like we care at all" he said, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Emile Hamilton stood in fear as he watched Superman punch through the wall to his laboratory. The man of steel watched him with an angered expression, his lips curled in a sneer before he stopped just feet away from him. "A lot of this are starting to make sense now Hamilton. When did CADMUS recruit you?" he asked with a growl.

Hamilton, to his credit, regained his stone-faced composure as he looked at his former friend. "Recruit me? I went to them"

"How can you work for these people?" Superman asked, enraged. "Do you know what they are?"

Hamilton merely shrugged nonchalantly. "Powerbrokers, politicians, criminals, and black-ops mercenaries with one thing in common besides. They're humanity's last hope against your kind"

"What are you talking about? Humanity doesn't need protection from us!" Superman reasoned, watching the scientist with growing disgust and hate.

"I used to believe that" Hamilton said, taking on a disappointed face. "I thought you were a guardian angel, come to answer our prayers. But Lucifer was also an Angel too, wasn't he?"

"Professor…"

"You forgot, I've been on the receiving end of your wrath when you brought Supergirl to STAR Labs for treatment. I know what you're capable of!" Hamilton reminded him, almost chastising the hero.

"That's what this is all about?" Superman breathed in shock, stepping back. "One little scare, and you betray us!? You stole Kara's DNA, violated her trust… **My Trust!** "

"The chicken or the egg, Superman?"

Superman gave the scientist before turning around and flying back out through the hole, shaking his head in disbelief the whole time. Once he was gone, Hamilton released the breath that he was holding before grabbing a communicator. "Stay at LexCorp with Luthor. The Sandman is here" he spoke.

On the other end, Wizard nodded before looking at Salamandra. "Understood"

* * *

When Superman returned, he found Sandman and Huntress standing victorious over an entire platoon of soldiers. Flint looked at him with a small smirk. "Nice to see you too" he drawled before dropping the last guard to the floor.

Superman didn't say anything, choosing to remain silent as he lead them to a secret lab where a scientist was currently torturing Question. The scientist looked at them in fear before raising a pistol at them. Sandman simply made a mallet in response. "Go ahead, make my day!"

The scientist to his credit, dropped the gun before raising his hands in surrender before Huntress approached him. "Not good enough!" she growled before punching him across the room where he fell to the floor in a heap. She then walked over to his fallen form before aiming her crossbow at him, ready to fire at will.

"Huntress, no!" Superman called as he helped Question out of his bindings.

"We don't have time for this. We might need the arrow in case CADMUS has anything nastier crawling around here anyway" Flint reasoned before she pulled her weapon back reluctantly and instead went to help support Question.

"Lean on me, we're getting out of here" she said soothingly as Question groaned.

"Amino Acids in breakfast bars… linking chains to send coded messages…" he babbled incoherently as she shook her head.

"It's gonna be a little rough" Superman said suddenly. "I'll take the guards. Sandman, help Huntress with Question"

"That won't be necessary Superman" a voice called as the heroes, sans Question, smiled at the sudden arrival of Captain Atom.

"OH thank god. Backup" Flint sighed in relief.

"Good to see you Captain, cover our flank" Superman nodded.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand" Captain Atom replied, inn an almost trance-like voice. "I'm speaking as an officer of the United States Air Force"

"Bad time to grow a sense of humour Cap" Huntress said nervously.

""No joke ma'am. I'm currently assigned to General Eiling's Special Projects Unit and my orders are to prevent you from taking Question out of this facility" the atomic heron answered.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" Flint groaned.

"I'm a soldier Flint." Captain atom replied before raising a glowing red fist. "I do what I'm told. So how's this gonna go down?"

"This is ridiculous!" Superman said in disgust. "If you're not going to help us, get out of the way!"

"Not going to happen Superman. I've got my orders, legal and proper" he continued, standing in their way.

"Cap, Superman just told you to step aside" Huntress said fearfully as Flint readied a mallet reluctantly.

"I heard him. And I'll say it again; not going to happen"

"What's going on here? Why are you doing this?" Superman asked before Flint noticed the device on his forehead, recognizing it immediately.

"Wait, that thing on his forehead, it's controlling him! CADMUS is controlling his mind! But the only person I know who can make those is-"

Flint was suddenly cut off as Captain Atom swung a fist, letting loose a blast of energy, dispersing his sand in a violent burst. Superman tried to retaliate, but was knocked down the hall by a wicked right hook, courtesy of Captain Atom.

"I control radiation Superman. That includes red sun radiation" Captain Atom said as the three heroes, Flint having reformed, moved to Superman's side.

"Get Question out of here, Flint you need to give them extra muscle" Superman said before standing up. "Don't wait for me"

"What made you think I was gonna?" Huntress asked before Flint shook his head.

"Just be careful Supes. Now come on, we gotta go!" he said before immediately leading Huntress and Question away from the brawl as Superman flew at Captain Atom, delivering a brutal haymaker. Flint lead them off back down the hall as Question looked at Huntress.

"You shouldn't have come for me" he groaned.

"And you shouldn't have snuck away without me!" she retorted before they entered into a wide open room, one large door at the very far side. Unfortunately, there was a group of armed guards waiting for them.

"I got them, you get the door!" Flint yelled before rocketing forwards and immediately striking the guards savagely. He knocked three of them aside with one striking before throwing another guard into two more. Using the distraction, Huntress approached the door before frowning.

"What about the door?" Huntress asked before Flint made a drill with both hands.

"I think I can handle that" he smirked before starting to work his way through the door. He was making quite a bit of headway thanks to his strength before Superman and Captain Atom, crashed through a wall and through the door, scattering Flint's sand in the process.

As Huntress looked through the newly formed hole in the door, Flint reformed himself on the other side, looking at the two brawling heroes irately. "Do you mind?! Guy made of easy to scatter sand here!"

Huntress soon followed him in with Question in tow, before they looked up to see their only exit up almost fifty stories worth of stairs.

"I'm not gonna make it" Question groaned.

"You got a way up there?" Flint asked before Huntress drew her crossbow.

"Of course, but what about you?"

"I'm gonna help Superman. You focus on getting outside and getting to safety" he said before handing her his communicator. "Once outside, Call J'onn and get onto the Watchtower. We'll be right behind you"

She nodded, putting the communicator on before she fired a grappling arrow from her crossbow and using it to soar up into the air with Question, both of them making it to the top floor before she opened the door outside and called the Watchtower.

"J'onn it's Huntress. Question and I need an exit now!" she said in a pleading voice.

"Huntress you are no longer part of the Justice League…" the Martian started before she cut him off.

"Save it! Q is down, CADMUS is behind us and Flint is trying to help Superman save Captain Atom! Just get us up there then search the area for those three, they should be outside soon!"

In a sudden flash of light, they disappeared.

* * *

Back on the ground Flint nodded at their escape before looking at the two who had since returned their fight to the ground with Superman knocking Captain Atom into the wall.

"Supes we gotta get that device off of his head!" Flint explained.

"I know, but you try it!" the man of steel said before Flint growled.

"Okay I will!" he yelled before marching over to Captain Atom who was just getting back up. He grabbed the Captain's head before savagely beating it against the wall. After a few strikes, the device fell off and Atom slowly shook his head, regaining his senses.

"F… Flint?" he asked sorely.

"Yeah it's me. How are you Cap?" he asked with a smile.

"A little light headed" he said painfully before passing out, cracks all over his containment suit from their violent brawl.

* * *

On the Watchtower, Flint and Superman watched as a medical team worked on Captain Atom while Question was tended to in an adjoining room. After a few minutes of silence, Kara flew over.

"Clark, I heard you and Flint attacked CADMUS. What's going on?" she asked in worry.

Superman continued to frown before sighing and looking at her. "CADMUS kidnapped Question, and they put some mind control device on Captain Atom. They turned him against us" he answered as Supergirl gasped.

"They didn't" she said in disbelief.

"They did" Flint confirmed.

"And it gets worse" Superman continued. "Professor Hamilton is also working for them" he revealed, startling both heroes. "And he was probably the one who…"

"Cloned me… why?" Supergirl asked again.

"He was afraid of us" Superman said darkly.

Flint looked down sadly before putting a compassionate hand on Kara's shoulder. "I'm sorry about all this kid"

"Don't be" she growled, clenching her fists. "I'll feel better when we shut them down"

"That reminds me Clark, the device used on Captain Atom? I recognize it from my home world. A villain named the Wizard specializes in them. He was actually the one who sent me here." He explained before shaking his head fearfully. "I just don't know how it would have gotten here"

Superman listened intently before nodding. "We'll go over all this later, one stop first. Just wait here" he said before going into Question's medical room, finding the detective with his mask off and Huntress sitting next to him.

"He's gonna be fine. But he needs his rest" she explained.

"I'll only be a moment" Superman said in an assuring tone as she seemed to stare him down. After a moment she nodded before stepping out. "Five minutes" she finished as the door closed.

"What happened Question? How did CADMUS get a hold of you?" Superman asked.

I went to kill Luthor" Question admitted bluntly. "So that you wouldn't be able to"

"That's not how we do things…"

"How _do_ we do things, Superman?" Question retorted. "Your counterpart killed Luthor; this Luthor is scheming to enrage you"

"And doing a pretty good job…" Superman muttered.

"Ruining your reputation, turning your friends and comrades against you, creating a super-powered arms race" Question continued. "But you cannot succumb"

Superman folded his arms before nodding. "I can shut down CADMUS without killing Luthor"

Question studied him before finally relenting, sighing in disappointment. "Carry on then. If you're wrong it's not like it's the end of the world"

* * *

On the observation deck, Flint was standing with Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, and Superman as they discussed what happened. Arrow looked the most pensive, before facing the three of them. "So what do we do? CADMUS is gonna peg this on us somehow"

"And we have two witnesses to combat that" J'onn countered.

"No offense J'onn, but do you really thing a mind control device will hold up in court? I know that supervillains make them, but no one actually uses them as hard evidence" Flint frowned. "But I'm worried now"

"About what?" Superman asked.

"That device could only have been made by the supervillain that sent me here. Does that mean he's here too?"

The three stared at him before Green Arrow shook his head. "Don't worry about that now. Instead worried about how the public will react"

"We were just rescuing one of our own" Superman frowned.

"Yeah, but we attacked government workers, how does that looks towards us. Something along the lines of 'oh we will protect you until we decide to attack you for a differing opinion' sure doesn't sound too nice to me" Arrow continued.

"Me neither, but the world knows we don't interfere with government procedures, if CADMUS even is government" Superman rebutted.

"You know, maybe none of us are right" Flint mused.

"What do you mean?" Arrow questioned.

"Well Waller is smart, if she says we attacked them then she knows they'll be asked why. Either she says for no reason and is doubted, or she admits the truth and is suddenly thrust into a bad position. Maybe she'll just let it lie. The best move is probably to watch carefully is all I'm saying"

As the three pondered this, a sudden swirling blue vortex opened, revealing a red and blue garbed web-slinger.

"Webs?" Flint asked in surprise.

The visiting hero looked around at the tense atmosphere. "I just came for a visit, is this a bad time?" he asked before Flint shook his head with a smile.

"Nah we just had to mull a few things over here" he assured him. "Now come on, I'll introduce you"

* * *

Lex Luthor was busy in his secret laboratory in the LexCorp building. Wizard went over a few schematics before checking over what Luthor was working on while Salamandra watched with disinterest. Thanks to CADMUS' suppliers, Luthor was finally able to do something he long wanted, and with the Amazo blueprints he stole while the League was distractred by the android, he was making a great deal of headway. Wizard surprisingly was smart enough to figure out his true intentions, and after some discussion Luthor agreed to let the villain help if only he was introduced to CADMUS. It wasn't like Luthor couldn't get rid of the scientist if need be.

As he worked, his communicator suddenly beeped. He set his tools down before answering it. "What is it Mrs. Waller?"

"Superman broke into CADMUS along with Huntress and Sandman" Waller started. "When they left, they took Question and broke Captain Atom free of his control before taking him too. Luckily they left the device behind"

"That was fast" Luthor drawled while Wizard processed the information. "Still, opportunity knocks"

"What?"

"Sorry Mrs. Waller, I'm working on something here; go on" he continued before walking over to a computer.

"the continual security breaches are bad enough, but now Question's back with the League, and we still don't know what he knows" Not that Luthor would ever admit anything, but the crackpot detective's outright refusal to say anything after a week of torture impressed Luthor.

"What's the worst case scenario?" he asked typing in a command as the screen showed a satellite image of CADMUS Headquarters.

"If they've got enough to tie you to this, they'll head right for your doorstep" Waller warned him tersely.

"Let them come" Luthor laughed. "I've got a full pardon from the President"

"Not for any new crimes Lex. If you get arrested we'll disavow any knowledge of your actions"

"Well that would be inconvenient" he said. "But I wouldn't worry about the Justice League just yet. They have problems of their own, after all. Good-bye Mrs. Waller" he said before hanging up.

"You know if this goes well, you could help me take over my world too" Wizard chuckled while Luthor smirked.

"One thing at a time my friend" Luthor answered as the computer showed a red circle around CADMUS along with the word 'ENGAGED' in bold red letters underneath. "One thing at a time"

* * *

"How do you ever get used to your base being in space?" Spider-Man asked curiously.

"You just do. I don't know how to explain it" Flint laughed before a sudden alarm blared all through the Watchtower.

"That happen often too?" Spider-Man asked as Flint turned to J'onn.

"Please tell me that's just a fire drill"

J'onn ran to the console fearfully. "Computer, report!"

" _Binary Fusion Generator initialization sequence in process_ " a synthesized voice spoke from the computer as Flint blanched.

"Oh that ain't good"

"Don't tell me you have a space cannon!" Spider-Man pleaded.

"Okay then I won't" Flint replied.

"Abort!" the Martian pleaded

" _Unable to comply, system locked_ "

J'onn typed away furiously. "Override. Command authority zero-zero-four!"

" _System administrator J'onn J'onnz recognized. Unable to comply_ "

"Oh damn it, Webs do something!" Flint said

"Me? What do I know about your space station's super computer?!"

"Well what would Tony do?" Flint asked as the two immediately tried to think of a solution Iron Man would use. Suddenly, both came to the same conclusion; article 24, subsection 2, amendment C of the Avenger manual, "If all else fails…"

"Punch it!" both yelled before they hit the command console as hard as they could. For a moment everything went silent as the charge of the canon stopped.

"Did… did we do it?" Flint asked.

After a moment, the computer spoke again. " _Disruption detected. Access to full power denied. Quarter level charge initiated_ "

"Uh, is that good?" Green Arrow asked in worry.

"Not really. You just turned down the power. It will only fire with a quarter of the full potential, and with a slightly slower charge" J'onn said before Flint turned into his glass form.

"Good, I can handle that. Probably…"

"Are you crazy?!" Spider-Man protested as Green Arrow nodded.

"That blast will still have that power of the robot we fought in Chong Mai!" the archer said as Flint nodded.

"I survived that didn't I?" he asked before looking down at the various League members below. "Just don't tell Z what I'm about to do" he said before rushing off, leaving the others in a stunned silence. After a moment, Spider-Man turned to Green Arrow.

"So, who's Z?"

* * *

After using an airlock to get outside, and crawling along the side of the station, Flint found himself starting down the barrel of the canon as it charged ever closer.

'Well this is stupid. Now all I need is a target' Flint thought to himself before pointing one hand at the moon as the canon neared the end of its charge.

'I hope this works.' And with that, the canon fired, all of the concentrated energy colliding with Flint head on. With a great deal of focus, he managed to bit by bit direct the energy out of his hand where it collided with the surface of the moon instead. A minute however, the energy was slowly starting to crack his glass.

'I should have stared at Z longer than I did… I'm gonna miss everything about her once I'm gone…'

Another agonizing minute later, and Flint finished his work with the most intelligent thing he could think of.

"CRAP!" he yelled as he cracked further, the beam finally stopping as he blacked out. As he did, he noticed the forms of Superman and Green Lantern approaching him through the quiet of space.

* * *

Flint woke up not too long after, staring at the ceiling in the infirmary. He took notice of his still cracked form before turning back into sand and reforming undamaged. As he did, he managed to grab the attention of Flash, Spider-Man, Green Arrow, Superman, and Zatanna, who had heard of his condition just seconds after he was brought inside.

Flint smiled at them all before turning to Superman with worry. "What happened? Did I do it?"

Superman smiled in relief before nodding. "Yes, you did, thankfully. However we weren't unnoticed"

"What do you mean?" Flint asked, sitting up.

"J'onn's just got off the phone with the President. Turns out he's less that impressed that the weapon was fired" Flash explained "And it was aimed at CADMUS Headquarters"

Flint's eyes widened at that. CADMUS HQ was so close to innocent civilians. If it stuck… the casualties would have been devastating. After a moment, Spider-Man called his attention by stepping over to him.

"That was incredibly reckless and dangerous" the web-slinger chastised him. "But it's exactly what any good Avenger would do"

Flint stared at him for a moment in shock before smiling. "Thanks Webs" he nodded before the hero surprised him by taking off his mask.

"Peter Parker" he introduced himself, extending a hand before Flint nodded and shook it. "Flint Marko. Can I call you Pete?"

Peter smiled before nodding and pulling his mask back on. "Sure thing"

"Well Pete, were you really taking pictures of yourself for the Bugle?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Peter groaned before nodding. "Yeah. Did I at least get you good side?"

"You did" he nodded as both heroes laughed before they started filing out, eventually leaving only Zatanna behind. Flint looked at her, noticing that her expression wasn't her usual level of disappointment, she looked more… scared.

"Z" he started before she immediately hugged him.

"What the hell were you thinking? I was so worried… I thought I was gonna lose you this time" she said, quietly sobbing as Flint nodded.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But I had to. People would have died Z, and I couldn't live with that. Not when I could do something" he explained.

She stared at him for a long time before finally nodding. "I know. And I'm proud of you. You're a good man Flint Marko…. And I love you"

He looked at her in surprise before cupping her face gently. "I love you too Zatanna Zatara" he whispered before kissing her tenderly.

* * *

Amanda Waller oversaw the last of her soldiers reassembling her office after their evacuation. With the beam aimed at CADMUS, she figured she knew exactly why it happened. It was simple retaliation. Although if her reports were correct, she had the Sandman to thank for their survival as he deflected the beam.

As she continued thinking on this, her phone rang. She immediately knew who was calling as she answered.

"I'm surprised to hear from you Amanda." The President started. "Since my boys at the NSA can't find you anywhere"

"We had a security breach at CADMUS" she answered simply. "And I had the facility scrubbed and moved as per standard protocol. I wasn't able to answer you until now sir." She said before frowning, "Even if the Justice League's weapon had hit, we'd have been long gone"

"Good, that confirms that there were no casualties"

"Not for lack of trying" she said dryly. "It's thanks to the Sandman that there was no collateral damage"

"We don't know the League fired on purpose" the President argued. "I just got off the phone with the Martian. He claims that someone hijacked their weapon and fired it at you to incriminate them"

"Oh, this was retaliation sir. Plain and simple. We captured the Question, they bust him out, an hour later, death from above"

The President sighed, shaking his head sullenly. "If you're right, it's our worst fears realized"

"Yes sir. What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm weighing my options…"

Waller scowled in response before speaking again. "Mr. President, if we're where we think we are CADMUS is you _only_ option"

There was a long silence after. "I'll let you know Amanda. Stay on high alert"

Waller scowled before crushing her phone and throwing it across the room. Yet again, the suits had decided to make the unwise decision. Thankfully, she had enough leeway and authority to make the decision herself. She immediately marched past Eiling, the General watching her with rare concern, as she entered a training room.

Inside, there was a large machine pushing down with over one and a half _million_ tons of pressure. The only thing keeping it up was the blonde bombshell holding it with one hand and little effort.

"I take it you're fit for duty again?" Waller asked.

Galatea merely smirked before pushing the machine higher and flexing. "Never been fitter"

"Good, come with me" Waller ordered as Galatea dropped the machine with a shrug and followed her down through the base and inside of a massive vault that not even she knew the contents of.

"Your mission is to take down the Justice League" Waller explained before typing a code and opening the massive iron door. "And you're going to need help"

Inside there stood Ultimen clones. One hundred Ultimen clones. They may have lost the originals but the DNA was still intact. However these ones were simply drones, meant to attack and be destroyed without any moral qualm needed.

Galatea looked at them curiously as Waller turned to her. "Get it done"

Galatea surveyed the group before nodding at her orders. In the back of her mind, she could remember what that Sandman had said, those six words echoing in her mind relentlessly. She had thought about them since she had fought him and it was started to annoy her. Although… she was pondering their intent too. Only six words…

 _With great power, comes great responsibility…_

She secretly hoped she found that Sandman while she was up there…

* * *

 **And done!**

 **Now these were two very awesome episodes to adapt. Great moments, great drama, and fantastic fight scenes. There was only one problem:**

 **WHAT THE HELL WAS CAPTAIN ATOM'S DEAL?!**

 **Seriously, he just turns his back on the League for CADMUS for no reason! Well at least now I gave him a reason; The Wizard and his mind control devices.**

 **Special thanks to Fox Boss for the idea to give Sandman a drill. I ow you for that, it was a great idea.**

 **And now, tune in next time for one of my favourite episodes (Beaten only by "The Great Brain Robbery") - "Panic in the Sky"! Only this time, we've got Spider-Man helping out. But will the combined forces of Web-Slinger and Justice League alike be enough to stop a rampaging clone army? Find out next time!**

 **As always be sure to review and let me know what you thought! And if you had any ideas, leave those too, I love to hear them!**

 **Ciao for now**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	21. Panic in the Sky

**Hot damn! This episode is amazing. All the action, all the intrigue, all the Luthor!**

 **And now, it's time for me to bring it to you guys.**

 **Now exams are right around the corner, so this is the last chapter to be uploaded at least for a bit. I'll be back soon after, but for now, expect at least a few day hiatus.**

 **But first, time for some questions/reviews!:**

 **Lucian Naruto: And your hate for Hamilton is still as palpable as ever. Trust me though, I hate him too. He'll get what's coming to him.**

 **Nicochan11: Thank you for the kind words man.**

 **kival737101: Oh you'll see**

 **And now for my usual disclaimer. DISCLAIMER: Sandman, Spider-Man, and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. The Justice League, Galatea, CADMUS, and all related characters are owned by DC and Warner Bros.**

 **And now, onto the chapter!**

* * *

"Hold still Galatea. You're invulnerable, this can't possibly be hurting you" Hamilton said in exasperation as he carefully fastened a silver bar to Galatea's forehead. However, Galatea's fidgeting was less than helpful in that endeavour.

"Boredom is my Kryptonite" she replied with a wry smile. "Actually, Kryptonite is my Kryptonite but you know what I mean. Although the way I'm feeling, I don't even think that stuff can hurt me anymore" she said before looking forward again. In truth, she was just distracted with other thoughts. Specifically, her previous encounter with the Sandman. Since the entirety of the League was on the Watchtower when the cannon fired, and the cannon's use of energy meant the teleporters had no power, and the bay doors couldn't open for the Javelins to leave. Which meant that when she arrived there would be a chance that she runs into him again.

Ever since their fight, those six words had been haunting her, keeping fresh in her memory. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't ignore them.

 _With great power, comes great responsibility…_

Those words intrigued her and annoyed her at the same time. On the one hand, she wanted to ignore them and just have them go away. On the other hand though… she was curious as to what they meant. Especially for what they meant for her. However she was broken out of her thoughts by Hamilton speaking again.

"Think again" he warned her tersely. "I've artificially aged your body to its physical prime, but your underlying DNA matrix is still a clone of Supergirl's"

She scowled at her comparison to her 'sister'. She hated having to be compared to her all the time. She had an infinitely better appearance, she had more strength, more power-

 _With great power, comes great responsibility…_

She shook her head again to remove those thoughts. She couldn't afford to be distracted today. Not with the mission ahead of her. Once Hamilton moved his hands away from her face, she touched the bar on her forehead tentatively.

"Be careful with that" Hamilton warned, not even turning around to look at her. "It gives you remote control over the Ultimen. They are blank slates, essentially drones. They have no will or thought, and they cannot feel pain. That bar will allow you to command them remotely" he said before pressing a red button on the strip, causing it to light up. "When this light is on, the Ultimen will be in active puppet-mode. They are an extension of your will"

She smirked at the information. "Wicked"

"It's time to get this show on the road" Waller said, stepping into the doorway. "Report to the staging area" she ordered before leaving.

Galatea stood to follow behind her before hesitating slightly. Hamilton frowned at this,

"What is it?" he asked in concern. Despite his orders not to, Hamilton came to see Galatea as his own daughter. In that regard she saw him much the same way as her own father. "I know the task might be a little daunting but I know you can do it. Besides, you have a responsibility to do so."

 _With great power, comes great responsibility…_

She paused for a moment before nodding and walking back. "I know. Good bye daddy" she said quietly before hugging him and running out the door.

However, she found her determination wavering as she left. She was no longer fully convinced that CADMUS was the only solution. But if not CADMUS, then what?

'Maybe he can help…' she thought to herself before flying off to find Waller for her mission to begin.

* * *

Despite the fact that the canon only charged to 25% of its full power, a large amount of power had still been drained out of the Watchtower. In addition, all of the blast door and bulkheads had been sealed shut as a precaution. With all of their technology offline, the Leaguers and their staff were working double time to try and get the systems back up. After a long struggle they finally had some success as the monitors started to come back on again.

"Power is starting to come back" Aztek announced, looking up from one of the monitors.

"Good. Steel, Atom! Head down to the reactor room and see if you can shave any extra time off" J'onn ordered before the two Leaguers ran off to the reactor.

Flint however was too concerned with one of the news reports that was one the newly reactivated monitors. On it, there was a reporter getting interviews from various civilians. Apparently, the firing of the canon wasn't quite as secret as the League hoped it would be. Everyone interviewed just talked about how they thought the League was intending to attack them outright.

Flint frowned as he watched before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter how many times we saved them. They just won't give us the benefit of the doubt"

"I know how that feels" Spider-Man nodded.

"Jameson you mean?"

"Not just him. I couldn't tell you how many times I had someone calling me a menace" he said with a wry laugh as Flint put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You're a good kid, and as far as I'm concerned you're a damn good hero too"

"Even when I was kicking your ass?" he asked with a wry smile beneath his mask.

"Don't push your luck" the former rogue retorted before both chuckled lightly.

After another minute of watching Superman finally shook his head. "Turn it off" the man of steel ordered, unable to bear watching any more.

"Our sensors and long-range communications are still out" J'onn frowned. "This is the only information available"

Superman thought for a moment, something clearly weighing on his mind before he finally sighed in exasperation, grabbing his communicator. "Diana, John, Shayera, Wally. Meet me in the main conference room, right now" he said before looking to the Martian. "You too J'onn" he asked before walking off.

* * *

The silence that filled the conference room was deafening. All six of the founders just sat, saying nothing as they took their time to process everything that had just happened. There was a strong feeling of guilt and shock that permeated all of them and it left them feeling more than a little uncomfortable. Finally, Superman broke the silence.

"What have we done?"

"We haven't done anything. Thanks to Sandman and his friend the cannon was safely redirected" J'onn cut in.

"Yeah. Besides, it wasn't our fault. We know someone just hacked our systems" Flash nodded.

"Whoever did that is responsible for the attempted attack on CADMUS, not us" J'onn continued. Despite the logic behind their statements, Superman still looked unconvinced.

"Tell that to the world. You saw the news they're terrified of us. So is the government" the man of steel frowned.

"We can't just let that stop us from doing our job" Green Lantern countered. "We aren't here to be liked, we're here to make the world a safer place"

Superman gave a sad, yet cynical smile at that. "And how are we doing so far today?"

"Come on man!" Green Lantern said in exasperation, groaning as Shayera put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"I don't see the two goals as mutually exclusive. We should make a gesture of cooperation." Wonder Woman said, as the others seemed to agree.

"That's not a bad idea" Superman mused

"We could start by dismantling the Binary Fusion weapon. At least until our innocence has been proven" she suggested.

"I've seen it on a hundred worlds; space-based weapons always destabilize planetary politics" Lantern said dryly.

"Okay, so getting rid of that thing is a start" Flash began with a nod. "But we're gonna have to do more than that"

"We have to regain their trust" Shayera agreed.

Superman thought for a moment before sighing deeply and standing up. "Then there's only one thing to do"

* * *

Back on the observation deck, the League continued their work with getting the systems back online. Flint used his strength to help move some of the debris, assisted by Atom Smasher and Shazam, while Spider-Man used his webbing to help add some extra supports. As they continued their work, they were soon met by the return of the founding members.

"May I have you attention please?" Superman called as everyone turned to listen. "I have an announcement to make. Until it's been proven that the Justice League did not fire the Binary Fusion cannon, the founding members are turning ourselves in to US custody"

There was a brief moment of silence before everyone suddenly began to protest at once. "You can't be serious Supes!" Flint said angrily before Superman held up his hand to quiet them all.

"We need you all to cooperate fully with any investigation that the US may want to lead. Give them whatever they ask for" he continued before Supergirl flew down to him.

"But Cl… Superman" she said quietly as he gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's only temporary" he assured her before readdressing everyone. "Until further notice, Sandman Is in operational command. Good luck everyone" he finished before the six founders all left. There was another brief period of silence as Flint blinked once in surprise.

"I'm… I'm in charge?" he asked before looking around at the others. Each of them were watching him, waiting for his orders as he cleared his throat. "Right. Longshadow, find Atom Smasher and go open those bulkheads. You never know when we'll need to get Javelins out. Static, you and Gear see if you can jumpstart the system at all. Everyone else, keep clearing the debris out of here. Put it down the Javelin bay if there's any room"

Spider-Man watched everyone get to work before jumping down to where Flint was. "Look at you. First day as team leader and you're already a natural at it" he laughed.

"Had to happen sometime I guess" Flint shrugged. "Anyway, I'll see what else needs to be done. We have a lot of work ahead of us here"

* * *

"You want me to _WHAT?!_ " Batman said in shock and anger, talking to the other founders over the Javelin's communicator.

"Turn yourself into US custody Bruce, along with the rest of us" Wonder Woman repeated plainly. Inwardly, she knew he would never agree to this plan. However, there was a small part of her that wished he would.

"Meet us at these coordinates first" Superman added before sending the direction to Batman, who was currently flying his new Batwing. "We should all go over together"

"This is the single dumbest plan I've ever heard" Batman growled, his teeth gritted in frustration. "If you're feeling guilty, clear your own name. Don't just stand on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do it"

"We've already voted" Wonder Woman said, trying to reason. "And we have six votes in favor. You have to come with us Bruce"

"I don't have to do anything" Batman retorted. "I'm a part-timer, remember?" he finished before ending the call abruptly.

"Actually, he took that a lot better than I'd expected" Wonder Woman shrugged as the others seem to nod in agreement.

* * *

The Javelin the founders were in finally touched down in from of a maximum-security federal prison just a few minutes later. A large sense of unease was felt by each hero as they looked at the facility. Inside were some of the villains they worked hard to put away, so they were all a little less than thrilled to be here too. However, they had intended to do this to regain the trust of the people, so they finally exited the jet approaching the warden.

The warden sighed in disappointment, flanked a few dozen armed soldiers as he watched the heroes approach. He had long been a staunch supporter of the Justice League and fully believed that the cannon's activation wasn't their doing. However, he had orders to detain them, and since the League had complied willingly he had little choice in the matter.

"As promised, we're surrendering ourselves to your authority" Superman said as the warden nodded solemnly.

"Where's Batman?" one of the soldiers asked curiously.

"Running late" Flash explained. "The batmobile? It lost a wheel. The Joker got away" he said as everyone just stared at him oddly. "At least that's what I heard" he added, shrugging.

A few more soldiers stepped forward with handcuffs to restrain the founders, with the heroes simply raising their hands in compliance. However, the warden stopped them.

"Those won't be necessary"

"But it's standard procedure" a solider argued.

"This isn't a standard situation son" the warden replied before leading the heroes inside the prison. As the other guards took over for him, he turned back to the soldier with a dry smile. "I don't think it would have held them anyway"

* * *

"Okay the bulkheads are opened, anything else we can do Flint?" Longshadow asked, shrinking to normal size again.

"Yeah, some of the wall panels down near engineering fell off according to Steel's reports. Head down there with Stargirl and see if you can weld them back up" he said before the two teens ran down, while Flint reached for his communicator. "What's the status on communications Arrow?"

"Nothing outside the Tower yet" the archer answered.

"Alright, keep me posted" he sighed before turning to Zatanna. "Remember when being a hero was simple and straightforward without the government conspiracies?"

"Not really" she laughed before shrugging. "But at least we're getting back on track now"

Suddenly, Spider-Man looked up sharply, gazing out the window as his spider-sense detected the approach several rapidly flying objects. "Hey, Flint, something's coming"

"Huh? What do you mean webs?"

"He's right" S.T.R.I.P.E. nodded, pointing out the window. "You guys see that?"

Flint as Zatanna both frowned in confusion before following his gaze out the glass, Supergirl flying down to their side to join them. From what they could see, they spotted what appeared to be several jet streams flying towards them rapidly.

"Something comin' up from planet side. Javelins, maybe?" S.T.R.I.P.E. mused curiously as Supergirl shook her head, using her enhanced vision for a better look.

"No, not Javelins. They almost look like…" she said before backing up in sudden alarm. "Missiles!"

S.T.R.I.P.E. immediately used his armours sensors to double check them. "I'm counting two-dozen Damocles class missiles! That's LexCorp tech!"

"Of course it's Luthor!" Flint groaned in exasperation before running for the intercom. "Attention all personnel; Battle stations! Prepare for impact!"

All through the tower, the Leaguers and technicians immediately prepared themselves for impact. Arrow held tight to the console up on the observation deck while down in the medial bay, Huntress made sure Question's bed was safely prepared for the impact. However, as the missiles got closer, the warheads opened to reveal drills. As they struck the station, they slowly drilled into the hull of the station, until the entire watchtower was riddled with almost a dozen missiles firmly stuck in the hull.

Three missiles in particular ended up on the observation deck, where they rested temporarily. The heroes however, weren't about to take any chances. They each got ready, with Flint forming twin mallets while they waited to see what the missiles would do. After a minute, Supergirl slowly flew up to one of them. Just as she got close, a door on the side suddenly burst open with a hiss of steam forcing her to step back. On the other pods, a similar door opened.

"Uh, guys?" Supergirl said warily before she was forced to dodge an attack from a tiger jumping out of the pod. The tiger was soon joined by the other members of the Ultimen as it turned back into Shifter. Full teams of Ultimen started pouring out of the other pods as well, attacking anyone in their way.

"Oh shi-" Flint said in shock before being struck with a blast of water courtesy of a Downpour, rending him unstable. "A little help!" he called as Spider-Man coaxed the Downpour away to get shocked by a Juice, who was in turn doused by the Downpour, knocking them both out.

"Just like Electro and Hydro-Man back home!" he laughs triumphantly as Zatanna moved to Flint.

"Yrd s'tnilf dnas!" she chanted before Flint's sand dried out, allowing him to reform again. "Thanks for the help there"

"So what's the deal with these Flint? Are they clones?" Spider-Man asked before Dr. Fate blasted away a Shifter who had transformed into an Elephant.

"No, not clones" the sorcerer answered. "I have searched their minds and there is nothing there. Only a blank slate. They are robots. Nothing more than mindless and soulless machines"

The other heroes on the observation deck paused for a moment before suddenly nodding with a renewed vigour as Flint went to the intercom again.

"Good news! They ain't people, and they don't feel pain! Take them down hard, no holding back!" he called before savagely knocking a Wind Dragon into a bulkhead with a blow from a mace.

"Phew… that's a relief" Spider-Man sighed before dodging an attack from another Juice. Peter had a rather lengthy history with clones in the past. In fact, his brother's Ben and Kaine both started as clones of him. But they grew to be their own people and Peter valued them as the individuals that they grew to be. It hurt him when Ben died, and ever since he was always willing to try and give clones the benefit of the doubt in these situations. After all, they had a right to life in his eyes.

* * *

Down near the engineering level, Longshadow was busy grappling with another of himself while Stargirl blasted a Downpour that tried to sneak up on him. He gave her a grateful smile before knocking out his doppelganger.

"Knowing that they're just drones is nice and all… but it's still kinda messed up having to fight my old friends" he said with a frown as Stargirl gave him a sympathetic look.

"I know it is, but you're doing a great job. And if the real Ultimen were here, I'm sure they'd appreciate what you're doing" she smiled before they took notice of an unopened pod.

"Huh, maybe that one's jammed?" he mused before the door was violently punched off of its hinges, colliding with Longshadow's gut, causing him to fall on one knee.

Then before he could recover, a white streak flew out before delivering a wicked uppercut to his jaw. Longshadow crashed to the floor with a resounding thud, completely knocked out cold.

"Shadow!" Stargirl said in alarm before going to retaliate against whoever attacked him, only to be back handed into a wall, falling down next to his body in much the same state.

The figure that attacked them final landed on the ground before flexing her knuckles and wiping some dust off of her boots. Standing up straight, Galatea then smirked at her handiwork before touching the metal strip on her forehead.

"Ultimen, keep the League off of me" she ordered. "And sanitize the Watchtower". Afterwards she flew off into the reactor room to complete her objective of destroying the Watchtower. However, the knowledge of the Sandman being up on the tower somewhere brought those words back to her mind.

 _With great power, comes great responsibility…_

Now she really wanted to run into him again, if only to beat the tar out of him for putting those words into her mind.

* * *

Inside the new CADMUS Headquarters, Waller stood with Eiling as they looked over a digital readout from the Watchtower, reporting to them how the takeover was going. Waller's face was emotionless, simply reading the data while Eiling's held a grim smile as he drank his coffee. A few of the Ultimen had already been defeated, or in the case of the ones who ran into Huntress utterly eviscerated, but for the most part their infiltration was working. A moment of silence passed before Eiling opened his mouth to speak. That's when Batman broke through the grate of the air vent above them, landing on the table with his infamous glare back in full force.

"We've got business Waller" the Dark Knight growled, taking no notice of Eiling who had a gun raised to him, other than to knock the gun away with a batarang. Eiling then tried to tackle him, but Batman simply threw him over the table and into the wall, knocking the aging general out.

Batman then stood up straight before walking to Waller and standing in front of her, leering into her face. "You told me once that you were a patriot. Well it's time to step up" he started as Waller pushed a button to dismiss the digital readout. "You have to know that the Justice League would never have fired that weapon at you"

"Sure you would" Waller scoffed with a sneer. "It was retaliation for kidnapping the Question"

"And yet you weren't home" Batman continued, his stare never leaving her or wavering once. "We've had you under surveillance for months. You don't think we didn't see you evacuate your offices?"

"A warning shot then" she conceded, rolling her eyes.

"Don't be dense" he seethed. "Someone took over our Fusion Cannon by remote control. There are maybe three people on Earth who are smart enough to pull that off. Two of them are already on the Watchtower. That leaves…"

"Luthor" she answered skeptically, her brow raised as she folded her arms. "That's where you're trying to lead me right?"

"You're too smart to trust him"

"Who says I do?" she answered plainly. "He provides off the books funding for CADMUS. As far as I'm concerned, that's all he's good for"

"Then you must know he has his own agenda" Batman put forward.

"He wants to be President. That's agenda enough for anyone"

Batman resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration before he simply turned his back. "Almost anyone. If I were you, I'd start looking at him. Hard"

Before Waller could respond, her attention was drawn away by the sound of Eiling slowly getting up. She watched him for a moment before turning back to the dark knight, only to find him gone. Silently vanishing without a trace.

'I wonder if Gotham PD hates that as much as I do' she thought to herself before shaking her head, and moving to check on Eiling.

* * *

"So this Luthor guy, he's bad news?" Spider-Man asked as he swung around, tying up and restraining any Ultimen he came across. Through the combined efforts of the League having learned to work together effectively over the last year, and their pent up frustration of the last day being let lose in full once they found out the Ultimen were simply mindless drones, the invading force was being handled rather easily.

"Oh yeah. He is. The guy is so twisted, he once stole forty cakes!" Flint nodded, a Shifter passing through him harmlessly before he retaliated before a mace right to its back to fling it away into a Longshadow.

"Forty cakes! That fiend!" Spider-Man gasped before blinding a Wind Dragon with some webbing over the eyes, allowing Supergirl to easily knock him out too.

"I think we got this back under control!" Flint smirked before getting a communication.

"Flint? This is Vigilante"

"I read you Vig, what's the situation down there?"

"I've been playing clean up here with Sir Justin and Vixen and we just got here to the engineering room. Longshadow, that's our Longshadow, and Stargirl are out for the count. Somethin' took them down that wasn't an Ultiman"

"What sort of something are we talking here?" he asked before hitting another Longshadow at a distance with an enlarged flail.

"Only critter I've seen that can do this damage is Kryptonian. Looks like it's in the engine room too"

That made Flint suddenly freeze in fear before he touched the communicator again. "Atom? Atom are you there?"

Nothing.

"Atom? Steel? Steel do you copy?" he called again.

Again silence.

"Oh this ain't good" Flint groaned as Supergirl flew down.

"What is it? What's not good?"

""I think your clone might be here, and she's in with the reactor core" he said as Supergirl blanched.

"Oh no. Don't worry, I got her!" she started before Flint held her back.

"No you don't. What I need you to do is to head down and see if you can get Stargirl and our Longshadow up to the Medical bay for some much needed medical attention. I'll take care of Galatea" he said seriously.

Supergirl looked at him, about to protest before finally relenting. "Okay" she nodded reluctantly before flying off. Before Flint could move out, Spider-Man landed next to him.

"Did you say a clone?"

"Yep. This one has a conscience and everything" Flint confirmed to the web-slinger.

"Mind if I tag along then? Clones happen to be my specialty" Spider-Man said as Flint nodded.

"Sure thing Webs. I could probably use some backup down there too anyway" he grinned before turning back briefly. "Z, can you take care of things here?"

"Yeah I think I can. Ylf otni eht llaw!" she cast, sending a Shifter, who had taken the form of an eagle, into the wall head first. "Flint…"

"Yeah Z?" he asked.

She stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Be careful"

He stared back before nodding in return. "I will" he answered before he and Spider-Man dashed off.

* * *

After checking on their injured allies outside, Spider-Man and Sandman carefully made their way into the reactor room. Flint had a mallet at the ready as he and Spider-man looked around for any signs of Atom and Steel… or the intruder.

Near the door to the reactor chamber, they found Steel. His armour was battered and peeled away from portions on his body, and he was littered with bruising, but he was otherwise still breathing.

"Make sure Atom's okay. He got tossed behind the monitor there" the armoured hero grunted as Spider-Man checked on him. After looking behind the monitor in question, they found the two inch tall for of Dr. Palmer. He was clearly out cold, but thankfully his size prevented any more damage.

"What about our intruder?" Flint asked as Steel slowly stood.

"She's in there. But I'd be careful" he said painfully, clutching his side.

"Can you walk?"

"Yeah. I can still walk"

"Good. Take Atom outside. Supergirl and some others are already moving the injured to the medical bay. You two might want to join them" he ordered, Steel nodding before Spider-Man rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"So… dangerous clone time?"

"Dangerous clone time" Flint nodded as they both stepped in, seeing Galatea with her back turned to them, staring at the reactor core.

The clone heard them enter, but didn't turn her head, choosing instead to continue staring at the reactor core as if she were mesmerised by it.

"So that's it huh? You're here to destroy the reactor?" Flint asked warily.

"Yep. That's about it" She nodded before turning her head to look at Flint. "I was hoping to run into you again. And look, you even brought a friend" She laughed before looking at Spider-Man quizzically, not recognizing him from any of CADMUS' files. After using her x-ray vision to look under his mask she smirked. "He's cute"

"X-ray vision too? What box did you check at superhero try outs?" Spider-Man quipped.

"Sorry, but I'm no hero" Galatea smirked wider as Flint set his mallet down.

"You could be you know" Flint said slowly, the clone now focusing her attention on him. "Those words I told you, do you remember them?"

She stared at him, before a bitter, spiteful grimace came to her face. "Yes. I haven't been able to stop thinking about them. They've haunted me. Every thought, every waking moment of everyday!" she spat.

"What did you tell her exactly" Spider-Man asked, now curious.

"I told her your favourite words; with great power…" Flint started as Spider-Man's eyes widened.

"… Comes great responsibility" he finished. Unnoticed by the two heroes, Galatea finished them under her breath as well. "Really? You told her my catchphrase?"

"Course. They helped me out a lot, reminds me why I do what I do" Flint chuckled. Seen only by Galatea's x-ray vision, Peter smiled with pride at his former rogue.

Their brief moment was broken as Galatea spoke again. "What… what do they mean?"

"Hm?" Flint questioned.

"What do they mean? Those words" she asked again, her fist involuntarily clenching in frustration as she watched them.

"Well… they're based on the idea that when you get power, be it metahuman or even something like political power… the use or misuse of that power is everything" Spider-Man began. Galatea listened intently before Flint nodded and continued.

"In this instance, havin' super powers is where the great comes from. Obviously you're strong. You're stronger than any human. But hell, you're stronger than most lifeforms period"

"But that also means that you have a much greater responsibility to maintain with them" Spider-Man added.

Galatea was silent for a moment before giving them a skeptical expression. "What kind of responsibility?"

Both heroes double-took before Spider-Man shrugged. "Well, that's a little obvious isn't it? We're heroes. We have power that lets us do more than average people, and allows us to help others without being in as much danger"

"He's right. Any hero is someone who lives up to their responsibility" Flint confirmed.

"And what if you're not? Being responsible I mean… What does that look like?"

Both heroes grew solemn suddenly. "Well then… you're the bad guy" Flint said bluntly.

Galatea reeled back, almost like she'd been struck, completely taken by surprise.

"Well… not exactly" Spider-Man clarified. "Sure, villains misuse their power to hurt people, or to steal, or to cause chaos, but there are people with power who don't do anything. They just sit… and watch. That's not responsible"

"So what then? You're saying I'm supposed to turn around and just be the hero?" Galatea scoffed, leering at them now.

"Well you don't have to be the hero. You could be though" Spider-Man shrugged.

She listened to him before suddenly laughing. It started light, but suddenly grew bitter and mirthless. "Are you kidding me? I'm a clone. I'm not a hero, I'm a weapon. I was born, raised, manipulated into who I was. You're telling me I could be a hero? Please. What do either of you know about what I've been through, about what I've had to suffer to be what I am now? To be CADMUS' personal weapon against you?!"

Both stared at her before Spider-Man nodded with a sigh. "You're right. We don't know exactly what you've been through, but I have been cloned" he said, suddenly shocking Galatea, but at the same time, stirring her interest. "A few years back, this bad guy called the Jackal made a couple of clones of me. Their names were Ben Reilly, and Kaine Parker. Both of them started out confused. They didn't know who they were, what they were supposed to do. Ben however, decided that he wanted to be a hero. Kaine took a little longer, but eventually he became one two. Both of them… they were like brothers to me" he said before suddenly growing sad. "Ben passed a while back, but Kaine took up his mantle to carry on the legacy. I miss him every day, but I know he didn't regret a single moment of it. He wasn't just a clone, neither of them are just clones. They are people, their own people."

"Hey, a couple of our great heroes are clones. Don't go forgetting about Laura" Flint added. "She was bred to be a weapon, but she eventually found something worth doing. She's a damn good hero now on her own now, and she's got people who care about her" he continued before shrugging. "As for manipulation, look at me. I started a petty crook, fought this bozo for a while" he smirked, pointing at Spider-Man.

"Hey, this bozo kicked your sorry butt every time" the web-slinger pouted, almost childishly.

Flint smirked before continuing. "But then I became a hero. It was the best time of my life. Did a lot of good. And then this villain named the Wizard came along. He took control of my mind, made me a villain again. I was so ashamed that I went back to being the bad guy… then I came here. And I became a hero again. I'm glad I did"

The whole time they were speaking, Galatea listened to their every word they said, her thoughts racing at a mile a minute. 'So… I can be my own person. I'm not just a clone… I am… a person. I am my OWN person. But I don't even have a name… CADMUS… they're wrong but… they're all I know! What do I even do now?!' she thought.

To the two heroes who watched, she looked like she was going to have a minor mental breakdown. Finally, after a few minutes, she tore the strip from her forehead before crushing it in her hand and throwing it across the room with a yell. All across the watchtower, the remaining Ultimen would cease their actions before falling over on the ground limply, deactivated.

The two heroes blinked in surprise before Galatea fell to her knees, tears starting to pour down her face as she sobbed quietly. Those few years in CADMUS, they were all she knew. They were all the life she had, being one of Hamilton's creations. Facing everything she knew having to be revealed as wrong… that her father... had been lying to her all this time… she just couldn't handle it.

Spider-Man immediately moved over to her before crouching down and embracing her as she cried. She flinched a little at first before slowly embracing him, crying into his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. Let it all out" he assured her before Flint stepped forwards as well. After a few more minutes of crying, she finally looked up to them with an unsure frown.

"Well, what do I do now?" she asked, unsure.

"Now, you start fresh" Spider-Man said, as she looked at him in confusion. He nodded before pulling off his mask and extending a hand to her. "Peter Parker, otherwise known as the Spectacular Spider-Man"

She looked at his hand for a moment before she shook it, while Flint nodded in approval. "Flint Marko, but you already know me as Sandman"

"Yeah, I guess I do" she chuckled lightly. "But… I don't really have a name. Just my code name… Galatea"

"Well Galatea is a perfect codename. That is if you want to remain a hero" Peter suggested.

She thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah… I think I might. But I still need a real name"

"How about Karen?" Flint suggested.

"Karen? Where'd that come from?" Spider-Man asked in confusion.

"I don't know, just came to me I guess" Flint shrugged. Actually, he figured since Supergirl's real name was Kara, calling Galatea Karen made her at least unique despite being a clone. However, knowing how much Galatea hated her clone in the past, he figured it would be a bad idea to bring her up.

"I like it. Call me Karen…" the newly christened Karen nodded. "Karen… Starr"

"I like it" Spider-Man nodded as Flint grinned.

"I do too. Just let me take care of something first" he said before pressing a finger to his communicator. "Sandman to Watchtower, it's over. We've won"

For a moment, there was silence. Then, the cheering from all ends of the space station became deafening as the League and their technicians celebrated their victory against the invasion.

* * *

Amanda Waller sat in front of her monitor, glowering at what she saw. A whole range of emotions flowed through her; hatred, shock, shame. But above all she felt rage. A deep, unsettled, and completely unparalleled rage. "He played me"

Eiling and Hamilton exchanged a rare worried glance between the two of them. They never saw eye to eye usually, but now they both could agree on two things. Number one, Luthor had definitely played them. Number two, Waller was angrier than she ever had been. And that second point utterly _terrified_ the two of them.

She tapped some keys on the keyboard before a list of different supplies came up on the screen. "Luthor's recently had a lot of our new technology shipped to LexCorp, and we know that he and Wizard are working together on whatever his end goal is. This is what they've stolen Professor, could he have taken over the Watchtower weapons system with these supplies?"

Hamilton frowned before reading over the list. By the time he was done, the possibilities of everything Luthor could do where massive. "Theoretically yes, but that's the least of it" he said, before taking note of some extra components. The last time he saw these were in the blueprints they confiscated from Professor Ivo. At that realization, his eyes widened in alarm and horror. "Good Lord, I think I know what he's planning to do!"

* * *

Back in Luthor's private lab in the LexCorp building, he stepped away from what he and Wizard had been labouring on. Laying on the table was a nine foot tall android, a perfect recreation of Amazo. He had intended for this to be his new body, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he admired this triumph of his genius.

"Now you're perfect" he smiled. "A perfect, super-powerful, immortal body. A suitable place for me to spend the rest of eternity" he continued to admire it as he walked around the body of the android. "Ironic, years of plotting and hundreds of millions spent on CAMDUS research and development projects, and none of it bore fruit. No, it's a lowly employee of LexCorp, Dr. Ivo the creator of Amazo, who we have to thank for my impending godhood"

"That was the last piece I needed" a brooding voice said, as Luthor turned to see Batman stepping out of the shadows.

"Got it all figured out have you?" the billionaire chuckled.

"When I went back to Ivo's when the first Amazo left, I found a copy of the android's blueprints. However, I moved them to the Watchtower for safe-keeping. Guess the squad took more than just the armour suit" the detective said before frowning. "I knew Waller wouldn't be foolish enough to use them, but suddenly they were within your grasp and you took them. Ivo may have exhausted all of his resources to make the original android, but thanks to CADMUS you could have someone else get them for you. That's why you joined them, isn't it?"

Luthor looked at the dark knight before shrugging. "What can I say? I plan ahead"

"All of this, just to give yourself superpowers?"

"And to ruin Superman's reputation of course" Luthor added as his smile soon spread to a wide grin. "Imagine how sweet it will be when I save the world from the menace of the Justice League. Now when I kill Superman, they'll build statues in my honour"

"Maybe next time" Batman said with narrowed eyes before throwing an explosive batarang at the android. However, much to his shock, Luthor simply caught the batarang, where it exploded harmlessly in his hand.

Luthor levelled a piercing glare at Batman. "That… was uncalled for"

Suddenly, Batmen felt something lifting him off the ground, completely unable to move any of his limbs. It was an energy field of some sort, and the wielder stepped out of the shadows with a smirk. Batman may not have ever met this man before, but from Flint's descriptions he could easily tell who this man was. "Wizard" he growled, his teeth grit.

"Ah, your friend the Sandman has told you about me. I'm flattered. However, we have urgent tasks that need completing. Salamandra, would you be a dear?" he asked.

Batman then noticed a woman with long dark hair, tanned skin, and a dark leather outfit step out of the shadows after. She cracked her knuckles before running forward and delivering a wicked jump kick. Her feet collided dead on with the dark knight's chest, forcibly ejecting him across the room and out the window as he started to fall to the streets below.

Batman tried to fire a grappling hook to save himself but it simply bounced off of the wall harmlessly, and the detective resigned himself to his fate.

Then, a hand reached out and grasped his arm.

* * *

Lex watched the hero fall for a moment before turning back to transfer his mind into the android. Then he was interrupted again.

"Hey Lex!" a voice called as Luthor, Wizard, and Salamandra turned to see Amanda Waller, holding a very large gun. "That android is CADMUS property. You're gonna have to find somewhere else to keep your brain" she said before firing a beam from the gun that melted the android body into a pile of goo. "A nano-disassembler beam. Your design I believe" she said in a smug tone, a smirk plastered on her face.

Luthor stared for a moment before suddenly growling in frustration, as his face twisted with rage. "You arrogant cow! It'll take me weeks to build myself another android body!"

"You ain't got weeks baldy. None of you do." She said suddenly before aiming her gun at the three. "You three are all under arrest for trying to use the Justice League's space gun to murder everyone at CADMUS"

Luthor however, charged forward in a sudden burst of speed that even shocked Waller. He knocked the gun aside before slamming Waller into a door. Waller groaned in pain before sliding to the floor as Luthor stood over her, laughing.

"Did you really think you could take me down all by yourself?" he asked with a smirk.

"Actually, yeah" she admitted before shrugging and taking her own smirk. "But on the off-chance that I might have been wrong…" she finished before Luthor and his compatriots turned to see, much to their horror and surprise, all seven founding members of the Justice League.

"Ta-da!" Flash greeted with a smile.

Superman stepped forward, his face grim and serious. "It's over Lex" he said. Even with the help of Wizard and Salamandra, there was no way the three of them could defeat all seven of the founders.

Luthor sneered before taking a step back. "Not until I…" he paused before suddenly clutching his chest in pain. "Aargh!" he groaned, grasping his head tightly before his moans turned into screams. Agonizingly terrifying screams. Black cones burst from his back as his arms literally tore below the elbow, his hands ripping away to reveal long black tentacles that writhed around frantically. Metal grew down his legs, making him stand taller. Finally, the skin of his chest tore and peeled away to reveal a silver metallic face, with three red circles in the shape of a triangle appearing just under Luthor's collarbone.

Waller, Wizard, Salamandra, and the Leaguers all watched in horror at the transformation, but what sent chills down their spines was the eerie voice that came out of Luthor when he opened his mouth. It was clearly robotic and synthesized, and to the Justice League, it was all too familiar.

" _I'd hoped to remain hidden until I could install myself in the android… but you forced my hand_ "

Superman simply looked at the horror standing before him, uttering one single name in response.

"Brainiac…"

* * *

 **And the climax to this arc continues!**

 **The next chapter will be even better, I guarantee it. We get to see more Brainiac, more action, and we get to see the Wizard pull his own shenanigans.**

 **So get ready, the CADMUS arc continues to wrap up in the next episode "Divided we Fall"**

 **As always, be sure to review. I love hearing from all of you guys.**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	22. Divided We Fall

**And the CADMUS finale continues! Hot damn was this a great chapter to write!**

 **But first, some business. It is rather sad business but I felt that I needed to address this. Just a few days ago, The Incredible Muffin announced that he was cancelling and removing his Ben 10 stories from Fanfiction. While this might be nothing to you, it isn't to me. His Ben 10 stories inspired this whole series of mine. Not just my own story but dozens of others. Avenging 10, Beacon of Justice, and countless other stories all owe their thanks to him. It truly is the end of an era. And while I understand his reasons for doing so, it is no less sad. Thankfully the stories have been adopted by chidoriprime who will be posting the story again on his own account. But in the meantime, I just want to give my thanks to The Incredible Muffin. Wherever he may be, he was truly an inspiration.**

 **But enough of the sappy stuff. I hope you're ready because the first arc of Sandman Unlimited is almost complete! Time for some reviews!:**

 **Jestalnkaer94000: Of Spider-Man will be sure to help. As for the Sentry, well he is currently dead. But maybe...**

 **DeltaFive-O: Nice to hear you enjoy what I've done with Galatea**

 **Lucian Naruto: I am quite familiar with Civil War, as well as that scene. Hell the real Judas already showed up in my story (Phantom Stranger for the win!). Don't worry, Hamilton will soon be left alone, without anyone to care for or pity him.**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Thank you again for all your kind words. I hope the rest of the story lives up to your expectations. As for your Justice Society idea, I definitely like it. However, I am not actually that familiar with the Legends of Tomorrow TV show (despite being a big fan of the Flash TV show). I do love the Shade though, especially in the Animal Man series, so I'll definitely see to using that.**

 **Slenderbrine: Indeed I do. I'm glad somebody caught the reference.**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Look for Flash to have another moment of epicness in this chapter too!**

 **Daniel's the Man 98: Hopefully.**

 **In other news, There will be another Q+A special coming up after the success of the first one. It won't be for another two or three chapters but if you want to start with the questions go right ahead. Ask as many as you'd like and they don't have to be story related. They can be about me, about DC and Marvel in general, about sequels, about other story ideas. Basically anything!**

 **And now, DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except my own ideas here. Sandman and all related characters belong to Marvel and therefore Disney. The Justice League and all related characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. Please support the official releases!**

 **And away we go!**

* * *

 **Previously, on Sandman Unlimited:**

 _"Ta-da!" Flash greeted with a smile._

 _Superman stepped forward, his face grim and serious. "It's over Lex" he said. Even with the help of Wizard and Salamandra, there was no way the three of them could defeat all seven of the founders._

 _Luthor sneered before taking a step back. "Not until I…" he paused before suddenly clutching his chest in pain. "Aargh!" he groaned, grasping his head tightly before his moans turned into screams. Agonizingly terrifying screams. Black cones burst from his back as his arms literally tore below the elbow, his hands ripping away to reveal long black tentacles that writhed around frantically. Metal grew down his legs, making him stand taller. Finally, the skin of his chest tore and peeled away to reveal a silver metallic face, with three red circles in the shape of a triangle appearing just under Luthor's collarbone._

 _Waller, Wizard, Salamandra, and the Leaguers all watched in horror at the transformation, but what sent chills down their spines was the eerie voice that came out of Luthor when he opened his mouth. It was clearly robotic and synthesized, and to the Justice League, it was all too familiar._

 _"I'd hoped to remain hidden until I could install myself in the android… but you forced my hand"_

 _Superman simply looked at the horror standing before him, uttering one single name in response._

 _"Brainiac…"_

* * *

Waller could only stare in shock at what she saw. The League even in their united front were very visibly alarmed and disturbed by the writhing mechanical horror that literally burst out of Luthor's body. Even Wizard and Salamandra stepped away in fear at what they were seeing. Their quiet horror was eventually broken by Flash.

"Dude… that is messed up" he said nervously.

After some difficulty of his own, Luthor regained his own ability to speak, blinking in surprise as he groaned in pain before looking at the tendrils that burst from his arms. "I… don't understand… What's happening?!"

" _You are under my control_ " Brainiac said as Luthor glared down at the android's face which sat in the middle of his chest. " _I have lain dormant within you for years Lex Luthor, subtly influencing your actions until we arrived at this point_ "

"But, how could you be here?" Luthor asked. To his own credit, he appeared to be adjusting to this new change rather quickly.

" _Do you recall me kidnapping you in this very building?_ "

"Yes. You forced me to build you a new body" Luthor growled, recalling the incident rather vividly.

" _Kal-El destroyed that body, foiling my plans. In any event, I always have a backup plan. Consider this, when I shot you, how could you have survived a point-blank blast from me? Unless…_ "

"Unless… it wasn't intended to kill me" Luthor finished, his eyes widening in realisation as the others also came to the same conclusion.

" _The beam carried a nanotech payload that inserted a microscopic, holistic copy of my program inside your body. Since then, I have steadily grown in strength, protecting this body until I could arrange my transfer into a more suitable one_ "

"You cured my cancer, and gave e super strength!" Luthor deduced.

" _Your animal-protein shell was insufficient for my needs. Improvements were required_ " Brainiac finished. Unknown to the others, as this conversation continued, Martian Manhunter's eyes glowed, carefully sending a telepathic message out from the building.

"Hate to interrupt the special live performance of the thing with two heads, but it's time to go to jail now" Flash cut in, finally having put his disgust of the situation aside.

"What he said" Waller nodded before using a special EMP shot to disable Wizard's armour before she shot a dozen rounds into Brainiac's face with a laser pistol. Both Wizard and the Brainiac possessed Luthor fell to the ground, Salamandra hesitantly raising her hands in surrender as Waller turned to face the League. "We'll take him back to CADMUS and see if the tech boys can't pull Luthor out of what's left of that hunk of…" she started before trailing off at the sight of Brainiac standing back up. A silvery liquid poured form the bullet holes before repairing the damage, Luthor appearing more irritated than anything.

"I'll be dipped" Waller whispered in surprise.

" _Be gone!_ " Brainiac yelled before a blast of energy blasted forth from the android's eyes. In seconds, the entire level of LexCorp's main office building was destroyed by a massive explosion.

* * *

Back up on the Watchtower, the clean-up was once again being carried out. In the medical bay, Longshadow and Stargirl were just waking up, much to the relief of their team mates as Green Arrow frowned to himself.

"That was a damn close call here. Is everyone okay?" He asked, looking at Zatanna, Black Canary, and Vigilante as they approached him.

"Atom and Steel are both okay. A few bruised ribs, and Atom definitely has a concussion, but they'll be fine" Canary said before referring back to a small chart. "Stargirl was just roughed up a bit, but Longshadow will need a day of rest thanks to that hit"

"Everyone else is fine though. Vixen and Supergirl just came back from the last of their roundup, and the others just have minor stuff" Vigilante added.

"Well that's good to hear" Flint's voice called, approaching from down the hall. Spider-Man and Galatea were close behind him as the others smiled in relief to see their team mates were fine.

"Flint!" Zatanna said in relief before the two quickly hugged each other, thankful to be back to normal.

Arrow however, was alarmed at the sight of Galatea, carefully loading his bow. "Yeah good to have you back boss. Now, what's she doing here?" he asked, as Supergirl had just flown over to see Flint. Upon her seeing the clone, she immediately got ready to fight before Flint put a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax, she's on our side"

"On our side? Are you kidding me?! She almost killed us all, today just makes it the second time she's tried!" Supergirl protested before Spider-Man stepped in.

"Yeah, that may be true, but that was CADMUS' choice. Not hers" he said, Flint nodding.

"Yeah… CADMUS didn't exactly give me a choice in that matter" Galatea admitted, clutching her arm nervously, completely unlike her as Supergirl still eyed her with suspicion. "But I want to make up for that… for what my Father did to you" she said, making Supergirl's eyes widen.

"So, you want to start over, turn over a new leaf?" Supergirl questioned.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry for almost killing you" Galatea said with a small laugh before extending a hand to her. "Karen Starr" she introduced.

She looked at the hand suspiciously, carefully thinking over everything that happened. Sure she should have the benefit of the doubt but she just attacked the Watchtower – With an army no less! Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she finally accepted, shaking Galatea's hand slowly.

"Kara Zor-El Kent" she greeted. "It's nice to meet you… I guess?"

"I guess so… sister" Karen said, with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I guess we are sisters" Kara nodded. Flint smiled with a nod, before turning to Arrow and the others.

"So where do we stand now? Do we just continue our clean up?"

"Yeah we were looking at doing that. We'll return the drones to CADMUS for sure, but in the meantime getting out transport out of the tower ready is the primary goal" Arrow nodded. "Of course there is something else we're wondering"

"What might that be?"

"Well, if the Watchtower was attacked, what happened to Clark and the others?" he asked, suddenly causing Flint to widen his eyes in realisation. However, before he could think on that, he clutched his forehead in brief pain.

"Flint, what's wrong?" Zatanna asked before he looked back up.

"I just got a heads up from J'onn… Brainiac's back"

That suddenly sent a ripple of fear through all of the Leaguers present. Brainiac was a notoriously well-known and powerful enemy of the Justice League. An incredibly strong artificial intelligence with only one goal; to catalogue all information in the universe, and then destroy it. He was considered to be one of the most dangerous beings in the entire universe, however he was also considered to be destroyed by Superman years ago.

However, he was back. Now more dangerous than ever.

"What do you want us to do?" Canary asked as the rest of the League looked to Flint, ready for his order.

"Well… what sort of transportation do we have?"

"The teleporter is ready for transport, however there's only enough energy to go one way" Gear said, stepping over from where he was working. "We can potentially get it enough energy for two trips but not for another hour"

"I don't need two trips, just one. The founders are gonna need some help, I'll go down and give it to them" Sandman said seriously.

"Not alone. I'll go with you" Spider-Man added.

"Webs you can't be serious-"

"I'm very serious. Not a lot of people here are in fighting shape. The ones who will be won't be for a while" he said, gesturing to Supergirl and Shazam. "You'll need the help, so I'm going with you"

"Me too" Galatea added. "You're gonna need some help down there, and I want to start making up for everything"

He stared at them for a moment before nodding. "Alright, you're in. Gear, get the teleporters ready for three going down to Metropolis. Arrow, you're in charge. Make sure everyone here is safe okay?"

"You got it chief" the archer said, with a lazy salute as Flint turned to Zatanna.

"Not gonna object to me fighting the homicidal super computer?" he asked with a small smirk.

"Somehow I don't think you'd listen to me even if I did" she said with her own smirk. "Just make sure you come back in one piece"

"I will" he nodded, walking with Galatea and Spider-Man to the teleporters.

* * *

Despite the best efforts of the founders, they were eventually captured by Brainiac's tendrils that burst forward from the LexCorp building before restraining them by their arms and legs. " _You are defeated_ " Brainiac stated, as he looked at the League. " _Any unique information that dwells within you shall be digitized. Your physical forms will be deleted; such is the ultimate fate of this world. But for you, the ends comes now_ "

When Brainiac finished speaking, silver tendrils suddenly fired out of his face on Luthor's chest before they flew towards the Leaguers, connecting to their chest. Silver circuity spread from the tendrils as the Leaguers were attacked by these tendrils one by one.

"Oh I am so fine with waiting my turn" Flash grimaced before lastly he was jabbed with a tendril, and he screamed in agony along with the others were slowly digitised.

Wizard and Salamandra simply stood to the side in the ruins of the Lab, watching the computer as it slowly destroyed the founders.

"Perhaps I chose our alliance poorly…" Wizard muttered.

"You think?" Salamandra said dryly before a pair of red heat-vision beams cut through the tendrils.

"Kara?" Superman asked in confusion as the tendrils well away from the heroes. Soon, the person who fired the beams flew over, revealing someone who looked very much like Kara, albeit older and more mature.

"Not quite. My name is Karen actually" she smirked as Brainiac turned to her in surprise.

" _You?!"_ he yelled before a stream of webbing suddenly struck the eyes of the super-computer, blinding it as Spider-Man landed on the building next to the League.

"Hey you gonna need someone from my world to help you out every time?" he asked with a smirk, as Wizard stared at the web-slinger in shock.

"Spider-Man?!"

"It ain't just him" Flint called as the evil scientist turned around to see Sandman facing him with a large mace for a hand. "Wizard"

"Marko" Wizard said darkly before activating his jet boots and quickly retreating with Salamandra to the roof.

" _No! I was not prepared for this battle_ " Brainiac said before flying to the roof alongside Wizard and slamming his tentacles into the building. Much to the surprise of the heroes and their newly arrived allies, the building crumbled away to reveal a massive skull-shaped craft. A large number of tentacles hung from the bottom while the top was covered in a dome made of hexagonal plates. Suddenly, the eyes glowed red as it lifted off from the roof. " _Now I am prepared_ "

"Well… that's something" Flint said bluntly before he and Spider-Man went to take Batman and Flash safely to the ground. As they did that, the flying Leaguers, along with Galatea, immediately flew out to engage the flying Brainiac craft. Hawkgirl landed the first strike, dodging a laser from the craft as the savagely beat it with her mace. Wonder Woman and Superman following with their own strikes while Green Lantern and Galatea used blast from their ring and eyes respectively to attack and disable the tendrils of the craft.

"I have to ask, where exactly did you come from?" Superman asked as he looked at Galatea with a curious suspicion.

"Oh you know, the usual. Cloned from your cousin by CADMUS, meant to kill the Justice League, now deciding to help them because I want to" she shrugged, dodging another blast.

"You're a clone of Kara… made by CADMUS?" he asked in alarm. "But who…" he started before his eyes widened in realisation. "Hamilton"

"Yeah, Professor Hamilton made me…" she nodded before pulling Superman aside so he wouldn't be hit by one of the blasts.

"Enough, time to end this!" Superman said seriously.

Brainiac seemed to sense that he was fighting a losing battle, and thus went to bid a hasty retreat. However, the League continued their assault against the drone. With some well times coordination, Green Lantern, Superman and Galatea all flew over the drone firing their own beams from their ring in the Lantern's case, and eye lasers in the case of the Kryptonians. They dragged the beams across the roof, intersecting halfway before the beams continued, cutting the ship in half as it slowly crashed to the ground, and landing in a crumpled heap on the streets of Metropolis.

* * *

The heroes landed on the ground, as Spider-Man, Sandman, Flash, and Batman all arrived to meet with the others as they began investigating the wreckage. As Superman moved some of the larger pieces, searching for Brainiac, Batman dipped his fingers in some silvery sludge, analysing it carefully.

"That was too easy" Batman muttered, his eyes narrowed.

"Easy? Then I guess I must have gone to the wrong fight" Shayera muttered incredulously.

"No he's right" Superman said grimly after he and Galatea searched the wreckage with their x-ray vision. "Brainiac isn't here, he suckered us!"

"Wizard and Salamandra aren't here either" Flint grimaced, his sand pouring out from the side of the wreckage after he searched through it. "So where did they go?"

* * *

In the sewers of Metropolis, Brainiac emerged from the water slowly, as Wizard and Salamandra slowly landed behind them, all three walking together. Luthor couldn't do much beyond talking, so he looked down at Brainiac curiously.

"Where are we?" he asked.

" _Several miles from where the Justice League is searching_ " Brainiac answered simply, keeping his focus and attention forward. " _Giving me time to make repairs to my damaged systems_ "

"Not that I'm complaining at all, but why did you help us to escape?" Wizard asked curiously, gesturing to himself and Salamandra, who was grimacing at the sewage they had to trudge through.

" _While you are ultimately unimportant in the grand scheme of my plan, you have proven yourselves to be suitable allies_ "

"And where do I fit into all of this?" Luthor asked, carefully thinking of a way that he could get himself out of this less than desirable situation.

" _The same as everything else. I will record your information, then destroy the original_ "

Luthor, much to the surprise of the advanced AI, then laughed. Brainiac paused, clearly confused.

" _You… are amused by my mission? Explain yourself_ "

"Say you succeed" said Luthor. "And you absorb all of the information on Earth and destroy it. Then what?"

" _I repeat the process across the universe, until I have recorded all knowledge and destroyed all of creation_ "

"And then?" Luthor pressed, a small smirk evident on his face.

Brainiac stopped at that, causing Wizard to look at him curiously. What exactly would happen after that conclusion?

" _Then my program is complete… my function is fulfilled_ "

Luthor inwardly grinned. He now had his angle to work. "If you possess all information, you're a god"

" _My program will be complete"_ Brainiac restated. " _It will be the end of all things_ "

"What if it were just the beginning?" Luthor asked, his mind having found a solution to his predicament. One that set his mind into motion at the possibilities. "I can show you a purpose beyond the fulfillment of your programming"

Brainiac, after stopping to think, continued forward. " _It is extremely unlikely that your inferior human intellect has anything to offer me_ "

Luthor's smirk was replaced with a scowl at that. "Since we've become so _close_ I'm gonna let that pass" he said in disdain before continuing. "I'm offering the one thing you've always lacked. A certain something that Wizard and I have in abundance"

" _Which is?_ "

"Imagination" Luthor revealed. "I've got a proposition for you partner"

* * *

Back in the ruins of LexCorp, a group of firefighters worked hard to put out the blaze that had engulfed a portion of the building. As they worked with police to secure the building, Flash rushed back to the site to meet the rest of the League. They'd been searching for the better part of an hour, looking all over Metropolis for any sign of the rogue AI.

"No sign of Brainiac" he said as Spider-Man just swung down.

"Nothing from the skyline" the web-slinger reported before Green Lantern flew down as well.

"My ring can't trace him either" John said as the rest of the heroes gathered around.

"Okay… he's weakened and damaged, so he'll need to repair himself" Shayera surmised.

"He might just dump Luthor and find himself a new body" Wonder Woman said before Superman shook his head.

"No. He'll go right for the highest technology available"

"Higher than LexCorp? He'll go to S.T.A.R. Labs" J'onn mused.

"He'll go to CADMUS" a voice called as the League turned to see Amanda Waller sitting behind them on a piece of rubble. Flint eyed her carefully. While she may have helped to stop Brainiac from taking over a new android body, she still attacked the Watchtower. However she did have a point.

"Sure. He's all nanotech now, what's the most advanced nanotech on the planet?" Shayera asked rhetorically.

"The Dark Heart" Batman said with a glare as he turned to look at Waller. "We destroyed it, but your people confiscated the remains"

"We've never been able to get any of it to work again" Waller said plainly before standing up.

"And you're willing to bet Brainiac can't?" the dark knight questioned before he and the heroes turned to make their plan. However, Waller called back to one of them.

"Galatea" she said, causing the clone to stop before walking back to her.

"Yes Mrs. Waller?"

Amanda stared at her for a long time before speaking. "I assume this means you're with the League now?"

"Not quite" Galatea answered. "I may be on their side now, but I haven't joined them. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do now"

Waller continued to stare at her for a moment before nodding. "Well, I can't imagine you'll come back to CADMUS, but for what it's worth, I hope you find your place in this world"

Galatea looked at Waller in surprise before nodding appreciatively. After another moment of silence, Galatea finally turned back to rejoin the other heroes.

"Go kick his ass kid" Waller said before smirking.

* * *

Thanks to directions from Wizard, Brainiac found one of the many vaults in CADMUS headquarters that held the remnants of the Dark Heart. After breaking down the door with a single punch, they stepped inside where they found shelves lined along every wall that were covered with dozens of the robotic spiders that the Dark Heart had spawned. Brainiac reached a tendril out before grasping one of the spiders. In a flash of light, the robot disappeared as he assimilated its technology.

"Brainiac?" Luthor questioned.

" _I have added this technology to my database. The nano-assemblers are already slaved to command routines. With but a thought, they will convert any raw material into whatever I choose_ "

Luthor smirked at that. "Then we're ready to begin. Let me show you…"

" _I have learned from my encounter with Darkseid that organic beings cannot be trusted_ " Brainiac interrupted.

Luthor paused for a moment, before moving his head to the side managing the best shrug he could. "I can't argue with that. But… if you and I are truly one, trust won't be an issue, will it?"

" _Agreed_ " Brainiac concluded before raising his arms. In an instant, dozens of tendrils shot out and grasped onto the various pieces of the dark heart. As they did, the technology melted into a silvery liquid metal which slowly gathered together on the floor before racing towards and encasing Brainiac. Wizard and Salamandra both took a step back as the liquid developed lines of circuitry. After a moment, a new figure rose as the liquid disappeared.

Luthor was once again back to his normal height. However he was now encased in an impressive golden armour, the edges lined with purple highlights. The only part of Luthor was his face and the top of his head. However, that was now a pale bluish-green. On his forehead, sat the three circles that made up Brainiac's symbol.

After looking to his hands and flexing them for a moment, the new Brainiac-Luthor smiled triumphantly. " _We are one_ " his voice spoke, sounding like a mix of Lex and Brainiac. " _And we comprehend. We can build a machine that can absorb all of the information of the entire Earth in a single stroke"_ he declared as his eyes began glowing. " _And then the galaxy, the entire universe! We'll remake the universe!_ " the being declared with a mad grin.

Wizard and Salamandra each took another step back, both alarmed by this new development. However, the Brainiac Luthor simply turned to face them before smirking.

" _You'll need some improvements if you are to assist me Wittman_ " he said before a tendril fired out of Brainiac-Luthor's palm and connected with Wizard's armour. Instantly, lines of circuitry emerged before encasing Wizards armour. When it was done, the armour was bulkier and clearly more complex, with Brainiac's three circles on his chest.

"Such power…" Wizard muttered before grinning. Now he felt like he could do anything. "Well my dear, how do I look?" he asked, turning to face Salamandra.

"I'm not 'your dear', Wittman" she said defiantly. Subconsciously, she was starting to break his control. However, he simply shook his head.

" _We don't have time for this. If we are to complete the task ahead of us… we must move now!_ " Brainiac-Luthor declared.

* * *

"So… we're _NOT_ getting any backup?" Flash asked with a frown as the eight Leaguers, Spider-Man, and Galatea all sat in the Javelin as they flew out to CADMUS HQ.

"Unfortunately no. The rest of the Javelins were wrecked in the attack" Flint said, as Galatea looked sheepishly away. "The Teleporters are still being repaired. The fact that I could get down here with this backup sent their repair back by another couple of hours"

Batman simply looked forward as he flew the Javelin. "Then the ten of us will have to do"

At that, the Javelin finally arrived before landing on the ground as the heroes all stepped out, getting ready for the battle ahead. In front of them stood the large form of CADMUS headquarters. Superman frowned before he started scanning it, trying to see inside.

"My x-ray vision can't penetrate the walls, but I'm seeing a rapidly-growing heat-signature in the infrared range"

"You don't need super-vision for that" Wonder Woman said simply before stepping forwards, wiping the sweat from her brow that was slowly forming. "Can't you feel the heat?"

As soon as she said that… the building exploded.

After the explosion finished, in place of the building stood a massive purple machine, with silver circuitry adorning the sides of it. Several large pieces of the building floated off the ground before they connected themselves to the sides of the main device. At the base of the device, sitting in a ball of yellow energy was Brainiac-Luthor.

" _Welcome Justice League_ " Brainiac-Luthor said before looking up at the heroes with a leering grin. " _You're just in time for the end of the world_ "

"Oh. Well that's certainly a load off my mind" Sandman said dryly.

"I know you're in there somewhere, Lex!" Superman shouted to the figure. "Fight him!"

" _You're right, I am in here… and I like it!_ " Brainiac-Luthor answered, his grin only getting wider. " _I'm about to get anything I ever wanted; power, ultimate knowledge, immortality!_ "

"And you'll destroy the Earth to get it?" the man of steel asked incredulously.

" _It's business Superman. There are always trade-offs_ "

"Less talking, more hitting!" Shayera interrupted before the heroes charged forward, ready to attack him.

" _You cannot be allowed to interfere in this delicate stage_ " Brainiac-Luthor sneered before raising his hand and a beam of golden energy struck Shayera, throwing her back to the rest of the heroes. Green Lantern caught her carefully as the others stopped. With this new power, they'd need to be careful in how they proceeded.

That was all Brainiac-Luthor needed in order to take the opportunity to create opponents for the league. He waved his hand before forming seven figures from a swirl of nanotech energy. When the energy subsided it revealed seven duplicates of Brainiac's original form. However, Brainiac-Luthor seemed dissatisfied with them.

" _No no no… we can do better than that_ " he declared.

With another wave of his hands, the robots turned back into silver blobs before taking a new shape. In the place of the Brainiac robots, there now stood the Justice Lords, the evil counterparts of the Justice League. However, instead of there being a copy of Sandman, instead the Wizard descended, with a new Brainiac powered suit. Salamandra arrived next to him as the League suddenly charged into battle attacking their counterparts.

* * *

Superman collided with his Justice Lord counterpart, landing a vicious punch before the Justice Lord spoke. "We've lost their trust. The people are afraid of us. Power corrupts after all, and who has more power than Superman?"

The man of steel simply ignored him before tossing him aside into a wall and flying after him. However, not all of the heroes were as frustrated as Superman while fighting their Justice Lord counterparts. In the Flash's case, he was excited to see what the Justice Lord Flash was like, and to fight another speedster was a new experience for him.

"Slacker! Child! Clown!" Justice Lord Flash yelled, throwing a punch with each word. "We have no place here among the world's greatest heroes!"

"Says you!" Flash retorted with a smirk before vibrating his arm rapidly. "I've got a seat at the big conference table! I'm gonna paint my logo on it and everything!" he finished before punching his arm right through the robot, the rapid vibration causing the duplicate to explode, launching Flash back. "Okay, don't want to do that again" the speedster muttered.

For Flint meanwhile, Wizard's blasts were managing to keep him at bay. Luckily, he had Spider-Man and Galatea for support as they traded between keeping Salamandra occupied and helping against Wizard. However, after a blast of Galatea's heat vision managed to cut through a piece of his armour, Wizard had enough.

"I will not allow you to interfere with my revenge!" the scientist yelled before activating a switch in his wrist. The lines on his armour suddenly glowed a familiar green colour before he fired a beam of energy, hitting Galatea in the chest. The beam turned out to be powered by Kryptonite as she was blasted through a wall rather violently.

"Galatea!" Spider-Man called in alarm as Flint nodded.

"Go check on her, I'll be okay here!" he said before deflecting another blast by turning his arm into glass. Spider-Man reluctantly nodded before rushing out to check on their new ally.

Once he left, Wizard smirked before turning up the power on his ray, forcing Flint back. "Face it Sandman, you have no hope in defeating me. I have been waiting for too long to exact my revenge and I will not be stopped now!"

"Revenge? For that? Breaking your control over me?" Sandman scoffed before dodging another blast.

"For ruining my plans! And my control should not have failed! I am a genius, and if my control can hold sway over Salamandra, it can hold you!" he yelled.

"Wait… you've been controlling her?" Flint asked in surprise.

"Of course I have? Do you think she was willing to marry me? She was originally a benevolent guardian, however her power was a great asset to me. Thankfully my mind control was rather effective in helping me to gain a new ally" the scientist boasted. However, that little break in control allowed for Salamandra's own consciousness to break through.

She blinked, shaking her head with a groan before she looked at Wizard with a dark glare. "You" she seethed in a primal voice.

"Salamandra, what are you doing?" Wizard asked before realizing all too late that his control over her had been severed.

"I am your servant no longer!" she yelled before begin engulfed in a pillar of flames. Once they dissipated, it revealed a large red dragon standing in her place; Salamandra's true form. "I am a dragon of K'un-Lun!"

"Oh dear" Wizard grimaced before both Salamandra and Sandman attacked him at once. Their combined power ultimately proved too much for him, leaving the scientist on the ground with his armour cracked and destroyed.

"Thanks for the help" Flint nodded as Salamandra turned back to her human form.

"Thank you for helping me break his control" she nodded, a rare smile on her face.

As they spoke, Justice Lord Superman flew past them, the real Superman hot on his tracks. "I'm not like you! I'm _nothing_ like you!" Superman yelled as he punched his counterpart again. However, the Justice Lord Superman simply changed form to look like Lex Luthor.

"This is the part where you kill me right?" the duplicate Lex sneered, causing Superman to hesitate. "Come on, use your heat vision. You know you want to"

Superman stepped back in alarm, allowing the duplicate to turn back into Justice Lord Superman as it flew forward. However, it was soon tied up by Wonder Woman's lasso as she smirked. "What do you say we switch dance partners?" she asked.

Superman nodded appreciatively before going to fight the Justice Lord Wonder Woman. He made short work of the duplicate before Wonder Woman decapitated Justice Lord Superman with her tiara. Finally, all the duplicated laid destroyed as the League regrouped with Salamandra and faced off against Luthor again.

"Take him down now!" Superman called before Luthor fired nine beams of energy. Flint barely turned to glass in time to deflect the blast while the other heroes were all knocked aside. However, Flint was soon met with a fist to his chest, shattering the glass. Luthor smirked at his handiwork before looking at the downed Flash. He immediately conjured two soldiers who held Flash's arms as Brainiac-Luthor conjured himself a shotgun.

"Well what do you know? I kill you, then Armageddon right on schedule" he boasted as Flash looked at him with wide eyes.

"No!" the speedster said before vibrating his arms, destroying the soldiers.

"Are you going to stop me?" Luthor asked with a smirk before Flash turned, and ran. With the Speedster gone, he want to go back to his handiwork. However, he was suddenly blindsided by a wicked punch. "What?!"

Then another punch. Flash was running around the world as fast as he could, coming back to retaliate against Luthor with one vicious punch after the other. Eventually, his efforts were paying off as they slowly started to crack and destroy Brainiac-Luthor's armour. After a few more hits, the Flash stood just in front of a downed Luthor, smirking as his body rapidly vibrated. However, before he could attack again Brainiac-Luthor was ready, backhanding the speedster away into a wall.

"Ow… that's a new one" Flash groaned before looking up to see Flint's glass turn back into sand as Flint reformed his body.

"You did good Flash, now you take it easy. I'll finish this" he said with a nod before approaching the villain who had turned back to his machine. Brainiac-Luthor was so absorbed with his work that he didn't notice Flint's approach until it was too late. "Hey Luthor!" he yelled.

Brainiac-Luthor turned around in time to see a stream of sand pour in through the cracks of his armour, slowly bursting it from the inside out. "N-no…" Brainiac-Luthor groaned as the armour cracked further, beams of light shining through as it was literally pried apart from his skin and slowly burst. "NO!"

With that, a large explosion rocked the city for blocks as the heroes slowly stood back up. Martian Manhunter helped Salamandra to stand as Spider-Man just returned with Galatea supported by his shoulders. Inside of a small crater lay Luthor. His armour was gone… Brainiac destroyed.

However there was no sign of Flint either.

"Heh… what do you know?" Luthor chuckled before slowly crawling out of the crater. "I killed someone after all"

"Not quite baldy" Flint's voice called as he reformed, his sand having been scattered all across the street from the explosion. "But it was a good try"

"It's over Luthor" Superman said seriously as he looked at the downed billionaire. "You've lost"

Luthor glared at the regrouped heroes before sighing. "Damn…"

* * *

From a hill in the distance overlooking the battle, Waller nodded with a small smirk as she watched the League collect Luthor and Wizard in the aftermath of everything. It was almost too close, but the League came through as they always did. Waller had to give them that.

After another moment, she turned around before raising her phone back to her face. "Brainiac is neutralised. It's all over, call off the airstrike"

"You're absolutely sure?" a voice asked from the other end.

"Positive Mr. President"

* * *

The next few days were largely cleanup for the Justice League. In the wake of the Ultimen attack, the President officially shut CADMUS down beyond some minor work, as well as for a secure facility to hold anything deemed too valuable or dangerous to be anywhere else.

Thanks to the destruction courtesy of the missiles, the Watchtower was shut down for repairs and all of the Justice League members and technicians were moved back down to earth for safekeeping while they received medical care. Thankfully, the cost of the repairs was to be covered by the US government as an apology, however Superman wanted that to wait until he and the league made an official statement regarding the incident.

Galatea had also been offered a place in the Justice League as thanks for her help against Luthor. However, she didn't accept, feeling that she needed a truly fresh start after everything she had done. As such, she actually revealed that she would be leaving with Spider-Man to Flint's old home dimension to make sure her start was right. But in the wake of everything, Hamilton came to retrieve her. Had the gall to say that as her father she had to listen to him. Rather than allow Supergirl to retaliate against him (she and Karen had grown rather close after the incident), Galatea talked to him herself. In no uncertain terms she cut all ties with him, saying that he had no right to take any moral high-ground. Everything he did regarding CADMUS and Superman was wrong.

For Hamilton, to have his own daughter strike him down with that declaration was the last straw. With CADMUS shutting down, his daughter leaving him, and having lost the friendship of both Superman and Supergirl, the scientist was left with nothing. As such the scientist decided to go on an early retirement to sort out his life.

Luthor and Wizard were both arrested pending trial. However, Wizard was going to be returned to his own universe and have his technology confiscated before his trial happened. However, the scientist seemed surprisingly content with that decision.

Finally, a week after everything had ended, the Justice League had called a massive press conference. Superman and the other founders stood on a stage while the rest of the League, including Sandman, stood among the crowd of civilians and reporters that were there to watch. Along with them were Salamandra, Galatea, and Spider-Man who all stayed to listen before they left for their own world.

Superman took a calming breath before stepping towards the microphone. The crowd all looked to him, waiting on baited breath for what he would say.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever had to say" he started, instantly catching everyone's attention. "I'm guilty… we're guilty" he said, moving his arm to gesture to all of the other founders who each nodded solemnly. "Of the sin of hubris. We had the best of intentions; to be Earth's guardians, to keep you safe, but we failed you. We looked down on the world from our tower in the sky and let our power and responsibilities separate us from the very people we were supposed to protect"

Flint cocked an eyebrow in interest, while beside him Zatanna and Green Arrow both narrowed their eyes in suspicion.

"No one should ever be afraid of us" Superman continued. "For that reason we're decommissioning the Watchtower. The energy weapon up there is already gone, we're taking down the rest of the station as well"

That caused the entire crowd to starting murmuring as they processed this information. To the rest of the League, this was a surprise. Did this mean they would be based on Earth now? Or was there something else to this?

"There's more" Superman said, holding a hand up to quiet the crowds chatter. "We want to thank the members of the Justice League for your courageous service this past year, but in the future you'll be acting as independent agents. We're not going to be an army any more. As of right now, we're disbanding the Justice League. This is the end" he finished.

With that, he moved off with rest of the founders, ready to leave. The crowd however was stunned beyond belief. Flint's eyes widened before he suddenly scowled. 'He can't be serious? Disbanding the Justice League?' he thought to himself, before someone voiced his exact thoughts.

"Says who?!" Green Arrow yelled, calling back the attention of the founders and the rest of the crowd. The enraged archer stepped forwards, his eyes narrowed as he stared down the man of steel.

"You remember what we did yesterday? We saved the world _again_ " he said seriously. "If you don't think that has any value, then think again! The Justice League lives on, with or without you!"

"He's right Supes" Flint nodded, stepping forwards as well. "We've come too far to stop this now"

Arrow nodded before continuing. "Look, no one can question your service or commitment to making things better. If you're quitting because you think you've done your fair share, fine. We'll throw you a parade. But if you're quitting because it's easier than continuing the fight, then you're not the heroes we thought you were. The world needs the Justice League…" he continued before Flint finished.

"And the Justice League needs _you_!"

There was a pause before suddenly the whole crowd burst into applause. The founders themselves were surprised to this response and looked around unsure for a moment. Finally, Flint gave a small nod to Superman, prompting the Kryptonian to approach the microphone again. He chuckled, raising his hands to quiet the crowd again.

"Alright, okay! But there's going to have to be some changes" he spoke again as the others nodded. "Maybe we can open an embassy here on Earth. We can have a rotating staff, possibly a…" he said, starting off on some potential ideas as Batman turned to Wonder Woman.

"You can all handle this. I've got work back in Gotham. You've got my number if you need me" the detective said as the Amazonian princess suddenly leaned in before gently pecking his cheek.

"I think so" she nodded, a coy smile on her lips before Batman nodded, a small smirk on his face. At that, the dark knight walked off the stage as Flint went back to talking to Zatanna.

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" Green Arrow said as both heroes looked to him curiously.

"Uh, in English please?" Flint asked as Arrow chuckled.

"It's Latin" he said simply as Black Canary walked to his side. "It means 'who guards the guardians'" he answered.

"Well, you know…" Flint said before looking around as Spider-Man, Supergirl, Steel, Atom, Longshadow, Stargirl, Galatea, Vigilante, Vixen, Huntress, Question, and Salamandra all gathered around him, each with their own smiles. "I think we've all got that covered"

* * *

In his holding cell, Wizard sat in his cell, brooding. However, he wasn't angry, or even upset. He was just thinking, planning… _scheming_. Sure his plan with Luthor fell through, but there was still an opportunity for him. After all, if Brainiac did that to the League… imagine what it could do to the Avengers back home.

"Alright scum bag, come on. We're moving you to Justice League containment" a guard called before putting larger cuffs on Wizard's forearms and moving him out of the cell. They were soon joined by a group of other guards as they walked to a transport vehicle.

Luckily for Wizard, none of them thought to check his person. Hidden in his mouth, tucked away under his tongue, there was a microchip. It was small, but it was unharmed, undamaged. And on the chip itself sat a familiar logo. Three dots in the shape of a triangle…

Brainiac would return.

* * *

 **Oh you thought it was over? It's far from over.**

 **Next time, Flint returns home for a visit. He meets some old friends, introduces some new friends to them. All the while Wizard continues to scheme, an even deadlier plan arising with the help of a still alive Brainiac.**

 **As always, be sure to leave a review if you like it! I love to hear from you, and if you'd like send some questions.**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	23. Homecoming Part 1: Wizard's Move

**And the next arc begins. CADMUS may be over, but it is time for Brainiac to enter the Marvel universe.**

 **First, I would like to thank everyone for the positive response to my last chapter. It's always nice to hear that people enjoyed it. This next chapter has a lot of exposition and a lot of stuff to cover for the Society arc, as well as a few new recurring characters finally appearing beyond just a cameo. Speaking of cameos, we have cameos galore!**

 **An now, time for your reviews!**

 **Lucian Naruto: Well between the two I would say Brainiac is the superior AI. This is simply because he has existed for longer than Ultron has (He was created by Krpytonians twenty years before Clark was even born) so he's had longer to grow and power himself. As for the two clashing in this story... well something like that.**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Oh you have no idea how dicey.**

 **kival737101: Oh they will... eventually.**

 **Cajun Strong Man 2: Oh Hydro-Man is in this chapter. Just wait and see who the rest are.**

 **CRUDEN: Honestly I really could. Maybe if there is enough interest in it.**

 **Johnathen: I would just like to report that I am not adding any OCs to this story. I have no intention of doing it in the future either. In addition, I couldn't even find that Bat Brothers story anyway.**

 **TerrorKing10: Undecided. Honestly, Galatea sounds so much cooler than Power Girl I might not even change it.**

 **Shaneman17: He might just meet him.**

 **Reminder as well that the next Q+A special will be happening after this mini-arc ends, so be sure to send me all of your questions!**

 **In rather upsetting news, my former Beta has since left me. I am now in need of a new one, so anyone interested be sure to PM me!**

 **And as always:**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters included. Sandman, the Avengers, and all related characters are property of Marvel and Disney (ALL HAIL THE IMMORTAL MOUSE). The Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC comics and Warner Bros. Please support the official release.**

 **Now, on to the next arc!**

* * *

After a week of recovery for the rest of the League, during which time Flint had spent most of his time helping to rebuild the Watchtower as well as more poker nights with the guys, it was finally time for Wizard to be returned to his home dimension. Thanks to the revelation that Salamandra was being mind-controlled (And J'onn using his telepathy to confirm this fact) once she returned to their dimension she would be allowed to go back to her home in K'un-Lun.

However, something had been pressing on Flint's mind during the lead up to Wizard's return. That being, his own return. Sure he had found a new home among the Justice League in their world, but he had often wondered about the home he left behind.

His mind had already been made up, he wasn't about to leave his new home, but at the same time he wanted to visit the old one. So, after a long time thinking, he asked the founders for a brief meeting to ask this most pressing question.

As the founders all gathered in their newly reassembled briefing room, Flint noticed the changes made. Namely that there were now more than seven spaces at the table. In fact there were now a total of fourteen chairs; seven for the founders, and seven for the League members deemed worthy to sit in on these meetings. With the names now on the back of these chairs, Flint could see the heroes selected: Green Arrow, Black Canary, Zatanna, Supergirl, Atom, Aquaman, and Sandman.

'Wow… I really made it this far' he thought to himself before smiling a little at the unsaid praise, while the founders each took their seats.

"Well Flint, what did you need to discuss with us?" Superman asked as Flint turned to look at the other heroes.

"Well, with the return of the Wizard happening tomorrow afternoon, I would like to ask for a week off active duty" he said plainly. Superman looked at him in confusion, but Batman nodded in understanding.

"You want to visit your old universe" the detective surmised.

"Yeah, I kinda do. Don't worry, I will be back, but I felt it's time I paid a visit" he continued.

Without any hesitation, Superman nodded. "Of course. Take as much time as you want there"

"Thanks, and I'll have one of the interdimensional communicators Reed made left here, just in case any of you guys need to get a hold of me" he continued before going to leave. However, Diana stopped him with a knowing smirk.

"You know, Zatanna might want to go with you"

He stopped for a moment before giving a small laugh. "You know, you're probably right. Better let her know then"

* * *

"Wow, you seem more eager for this than I do" Flint said in surprise as he watched Zatanna eagerly pack a bag. After his meeting with the founders, he had immediately returned home where Zatanna was waiting for him. Once he told her about his intention of visiting his home dimension, she jumped at the opportunity to go with him, calling it their 'First vacation together as a couple'.

"Well how could I not be? I get to see where you come from, your home world. A whole new world of heroes, magic I've never seen before" she grinned, finally closing her suitcase with a smirk. "Besides, there's so many people I want to talk to hear some good Sandman stories"

"Oh, I'm sure the web-head is enough of a source of those" he said, trying to save himself any embarrassment at stories of his defeat while being a criminal.

She simply chuckled in response, shaking her head. "Well in any case, I'm all packed up. I assume you are as well?"

"Yeah, my bag is waiting by the door"

"Any idea where we'll be staying for our little visit?" she asked, walking with him as he went to grab his bag.

"I figure we could just rent a hotel there. If not, one of the heroes might give us lodging somewhere" he shrugged.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that" she decided.

He nodded, as they stepped outside and he locked his door. "Well in any case, I think you'll like it there" he nodded before reaching a hand to his communicator. "Watchtower, ready for transport"

* * *

Down at Belle Revve prison, the Wizard awaited his transport to the other dimension. He was accompanied by Salamandra, Spider-Man, Galatea, and a platoon of armed guards who were all there to make sure he didn't attempt an escape. It was as they were waiting that Sandman and Zatanna were transported by the Watchtower to their location.

"Alright Webs, we're ready to go" he said as Spider-Man nodded.

"Perfect. The co-ordinates for our arrival are set to be at the Baxter Building. They'll be taking Wizard to the Raft right after" he answered before smirking under his mask. "Also, your arrival has been kept a secret like you asked"

"A secret?" Zatanna questioned as Flint smirked in return.

"Well I wanted it to be a surprise" he shrugged before nodding to Spider-Man. "Alright Webs, let's go home"

"Perfect" Spider-Man grinned before grabbing his own communicator. "Alright Reed, we're ready to go"

As soon as he said that, a swirling blue vortex appeared in front of them. The guards all looked at it warily as Spider-Man grabbed Wizard. "Galatea, Salamandra, we're going first. Flint, you and Z can come in right after"

And with that, Spider-Man stepped through the swirling portal.

* * *

On the other side, Reed Richards watched the portal accompanied by Iron Man and Captain America as they awaited the return of Spider-Man. When they heard from their wall-crawling ally that the Wizard had also crossed over on his own for revenge against Sandman, and had teamed up with a supervillain of the other universe to do so, they were quite surprised that the rogue had managed to make his way over.

Thankfully, Spider-Man also reported to them that Wizard had been stopped by the heroes of that universe, the Justice League, including the Sandman. Salamandra was also revealed to them to have been under mind control from the Wizard, and as such, upon her return would be absolved of her crimes while she was under his control.

"Hey guys, special delivery for you" Spider-Man announced as he stepped through the portal, holding onto the Wizard. Following close behind him were Salamandra and a blonde girl that the three didn't recognize.

"Welcome back Spider-Man. It's good to have you back. Now, who's your friend?" Captain America asked, gesturing to the blonde.

"Oh right, this is Karen Starr, also known as Galatea. She's from the other wold, but she's not had the best go of it. She wanted a fresh start, so I offered her a place here" Spider-Man explained as Karen nodded, a little shyly.

"Well, she's welcome here" Cap nodded before looking to Salamandra. "And it's good to have you back too Salamandra. I apologize for your treatment back when you were under the Wizard's control"

"I accept your apology. Now if you'll excuse me, I must return to K'un-Lun" she said simply before hurrying off.

"Not much for conversation is she?" A new voice called, as Captain America turned to see two more figures emerge from the portal before it closed, the owner of the voice revealing himself to be Sandman.

"Flint? Is that really you?" Captain America asked as the hero in question nodded.

"Hey Cap, it's good to see you" he smiled before the two shook hands.

"Likewise. How have things been in the other world?" the patriotic hero asked.

"Better than I could have ever imagined, but I figured it was time for a little bit of a visit" Flint grinned before gesturing to the raven-haired woman next to him. "Oh, and this is Zatanna Zatara, one of my team mates in the Justice League. She's also my girlfriend"

Cap nodded before shaking her hand. "It's nice to meet you ma'am"

"Likewise Captain" she nodded. "Flint wasn't kidding when he said you were a patriot"

Before Captain America could say any more, Iron Man interrupted. "Sorry to break up the reunion, but I'm gonna take Wizard here to the Raft. Why don't you take Flint and his friend over to Avenger's Tower? I'll meet you there when I'm done" the armoured avenger said before grabbing the villain and flying off.

"Avenger's Tower? That for a little reunion?" Flint asked.

"Actually, if you'd like we can offer you some temporary lodging there for your visit" Reed offered.

Flint nodded eagerly. "That would be great Reed. Thanks"

"Well, let's not waste any time then. Galatea, you're more than welcome to join us" Cap offered before the girl shook her head.

"Nah, Spider-Man here offered to give me a little bit of a tour. After that, well I guess I'll see for myself where I'll go" she shrugged.

"Well the offer is always open if you need any assistance" Cap nodded before the first avenger lead Sandman and Zatanna to the Quinjet for transport.

* * *

Wizard frowned to himself as Iron Man came in for a landing at the Raft. In one fell swoop he had been defeated by Sandman and the Justice League, and had lost his chance at revenge. Now all he had left was the single Brainiac chip he smuggled, knowing that one single chip was all Brainiac needed in order to survive.

He had considered planting it on Iron Man while they flew over, but that plan wouldn't be nearly as beneficial as he could have hoped. All he needed now was one single opportunity to use it when he got to the prison, otherwise that was the end of his plans for revenge.

"Well her you go officers. One super-villain as promised" Iron Man said as several prison officers came out and took the villain from the Avenger.

"Thank you Iron Man, we'll take it from here" one said before the armoured hero flew off back across the water to Avenger's Tower.

"Come on, let's take him to the lower level. C-Block" the head officer said before they brought the villain inside.

C-Block? To get there, they'd have to go past the armoury. If he remembered correctly, one of his old suits was in there, as were the suits of various other villains. This could work in his favour as long as he played it right. He had to find a way to eject the chip once they were close enough.

'Perfect, I'll be out of here soon enough. Brainiac will be able to reclaim my armour, and make our own personal army' he thought to himself as the officers continued.

Further down the hall, Wizard passed a few of the cells, noting who happened to be contained. Mac Gargan, the Scorpion. Maxwell Dillon, Electro. Morris Bench, Hydro-Man. Peter Petruski, the Trapster. MODOK, the advanced cyborg villain of AIM. Hobgoblin, Powderkeg, Doctor Octopus, Bullseye, the Melter, Whirlwind, Vulture, the Wrecking Crew. So many villains to help him, so little time.

"Hey look whose back!" Hydro-Man taunted. "If it ain't the Wizard himself! How's it feel to be defeated by the Sandman Wiz?" he asked as the other villains laughed. Wizard had made a name for himself from his walking ego and tendency to ramble about his own superiority. For him to be defeated by another villain that he considered below him was cathartic in a way.

"And look who is still in jail, Mr. Bench" Wizard taunted back.

"Hey you deserve to be here, you lousy backstabber!" Trapster yelled. "Breaking Salamandra out but not me?"

"She was useful, you were a means to an end" the armoured villain smirked before the guards pushed him forwards.

"Stop antagonizing your new playmates" the guard said as they left the cell block, approaching the armoury.

'That's it, just a little closer' Wizard thought to himself before one of the guards in front of him smirked.

"So, Wizard. Got any genius plans out of this one? Or are you just gonna let yourself get beat up by the other villains here? They sure seem keen to take a shot at you" the guard taunted, just as they walked in front of the armoury door.

"As a matter of fact I- Achoo!" the villain started before sneezing onto the floor in front of him.

"Gross! Don't go getting me sick now, that's the most evil thing you could do" the guard sneered before leading him away to his cell.

However, none of the guards noticed the chip that Wizard spat onto the ground when he sneezed. A chip with three small circles in the shape of a triangle. A chip which then extended three small tentacles before slowly crawling under the door to the Armoury as it found one of Wizard's old armour suits.

* * *

"Wow, Avenger's Tower" Sandman grinned as he walked down the ramp of the Quinjet onto the tower's landing platform with Zatanna and Captain America. "You know, I think this is the closest I've ever been to it"

"Well you're about to get a whole lot closer son" Captain America smiled before taking the two inside, where Falcon, Wolverine, She-Hulk, and Thor were waiting for them.

"Welcome back Cap. Did you get Wizard back?" Falcon asked.

"Yes we did, and then some" Cap nodded before Sandman and Zatanna walked in with him.

Wolverine looked to Sandman before nodding. "You're back too bub?"

"Just for a visit" Flint shrugged before the other Avengers took notice. Thor however immediately gave a wide grin.

"Welcome back Man of Sand!" the Asgardian greeted before immediately capturing Flint in a massive bear-hug. "Your many triumphs in the other world have been relayed to us all!"

"Oh you like the stories?" he laughed before being released and dropped to the floor.

"Aye we have, they are stories of battles worthy for even the Avengers!" he continued.

"Well, it's nice to be back" Flint nodded before putting an arm around Zatanna's waist. "Zatanna, I'd like you to meet some of the Avengers. These are Wolverine, Falcon, She-Hulk, and Thor. Guys, this is Zatanna. She's a team mate of mine from the other world"

"Nice to meet you" the magician nodded as the other members of the team greeted her. After some introductions, the sound of small jets alerted them all to the arrival of Iron Man. The armoured Avenger in question walked into the room as his armour slowly came apart thanks to the metal arms that came out of the floor.

"Well Flint, it's nice to see you here again" Tony greeted. "We got some things ahead of us now that you're here, but first want a drink?" he asked before walking behind the bar in the room.

"Uh sure, I'll have a scotch" he shrugged.

"I'll take a Hard Lemonade" Zatanna said as Tony nodded.

"Your friend there has the same taste as Pepper" Tony smirked before pouring the drinks. "Any way, first things first, we're going to get you a pardon for the last few years of villainy. Wizard controlling you would certainly allow for you to walk free here"

"And how were you planning on doing that?" Flint asked.

"Simple" She-Hulk answered. "We call a press-conference and tell what happened. If that doesn't work, well I'm a damn good lawyer. I'm sure I could do something"

"Fair enough. Anything else?" Flint asked before Tony tossed him an Avengers ID card.

"Well you may be a part of that other world now, but we still feel bad over your resignation" Tony said as Flint looked at the card. "You are now officially a reserve Avenger again"

Flint's eyes widened before he gave a small smile. "Wow… I don't know what to say"

Tony simply nodded, a smirk on his face before he handed the drinks over to them.

"Now Flint, that's what we'd like to do while you're here, but what would you like to do?" Captain America asked.

"Well I want to go sightseeing" Flint shrugged. "I might go and see the boys down at the bar, but other than that I'll mostly be here as a tourist"

"Well if you'd like we can organize that meeting with the press for this afternoon, that way you can spend more time at your own leisure" Tony offered.

"You know, that would be great" he nodded.

"Then it's settled. We get this done first, then you're free to go"

* * *

Wizard sat back in his cell, patiently waiting for his plan to come to fruition. He managed to successfully release the Brainiac chip in front of the armoury, and he knew the chip would be able to get inside. All he had to do was to play the waiting game.

The only other major thing left was to formulate an end game scheme. He wanted to get his revenge on the Sandman for sure, and the Avengers were a clear target as well. Perhaps afterwards he could invade the other universe and defeat their Justice League? But he'd help. An army of super-villains at his command seemed ideal, but perhaps something else. A backup plan.

He was broken out of his thoughts by some sounds of commotion, as a group of guards ran past his cell to the door of the cell block. He knew the hall on the other side lead to the armoury, so all he had to do now was hope.

Within seconds, the door was blown open by a blast of energy, before in flew his armour, seemingly piloted by nothing. One guard tried to shoot it, however he was met with a beam of energy, tossing him across the hall and leaving him against the wall, littered with energy burns. The other guards were summarily defeated, their bodies strew haphazardly across the cell block. The sound of metal footsteps approached before Wizard smirked, seeing his armour standing in front of the cell.

"Brainiac, I see you've wasted no time in finding me" he greeted.

Brainiac looked at him for a moment before nodding. " _Yes. Despite Luthor's abject failure earlier, I know this world has no idea of my talents or abilities. My task here should be far simpler_ "

"Indeed, however you can't discount the heroes here. Some of them are quite dangerous and powerful" Wizard frowned.

" _Quite. However, I'm sure your knowledge of this world's heroes will be more than adequate to assist in my takeover_ " Brainiac replied before opening the cell as Wizard stepped out before putting his armour on.

"Now, before we leave we could use some help"

" _What sort of help did you have in mind?"_

"Well, I believe an army of super-villains, augmented by your own technology, would make quite the distraction as we commence our own plans" Wizard said simply as he accessed the controls to release all of the villains in the cellblock.

" _That plan does have merit. It would be beneficial if we managed to distract this world's heroes while we worked_ "

"I'm glad you agree. However I have one stipulation"

" _That being?_ " the AI asked, curious.

"I wish to remake my Frightful Four. After all, having my own personal guard would also help" he commented before releasing other villains as they immediately went out to retrieve their tech and armour before attacking the amassing guards. Powderkeg ran ahead before detonating a massive explosion to allow for their escape through a now destroyed wall.

" _Very well. Who did you have in mind to accomplish this task?_ "

Wizard chuckled before noticing Electro, Hydro-Man, and Trapster. All three having retrieved their own tech and suits. "Those three shall do" he smirked before firing three tendrils who immediately grasped the three villains, augmenting their technology with Brainiac.

"What the hell, what did you do to us?" Trapster asked warily, looking at his newly upgraded armour.

"I have made some much needed upgrades. After all, if you are to be my new Frightful Four, you'll require the extra technology to help repel the heroes" Wizard smirked confidently.

"Frightful Four? Last time I joined you, you just left me in prison" Trapster frowned.

"However this time, no prison will be able to hold any of you" he smirked as other villains gathered around to listen.

After a moment, Electro nodded. "Alright, we're in"

"Excellent! Now to amass my army" Wizard smirked before dozens of tendrils fired from his back. They immediately latched on to the other villains, filling their own armour with Brainiac's technology or otherwise augmenting their physical capabilities.

"Now go! Ransack the city! Amass whatever wealth you desire, just make sure your destruction is vast" Wizard called as the villains immediately rushed out to head to New York City. However, he stopped Trapster, Hydro-Man, and Electro from leaving. "Not you three. I need you to stay with me while I complete my plans"

"And what's in it for us?" Trapster asked, Electro nodding in agreement.

"Quite simply, with your new upgrades, you are allowed to destroy any hero who gets too close" Wizard replied.

"Yes! Finally, with this power I can finally destroy the web-slinger!" Electro cackled as Trapster nodded.

"And I can finally destroy the Avengers!"

Hydro-Man however was unsure. True, he wanted revenge as much as the next guy, but he wasn't quite sure that Wizard was quite the person to ally with to accomplish it.

"Come, we have much to do, and little time to complete it" Wizard said before leading the three off to complete their task. As they did, he filled Brainiac with knowledge of this world and their heroes, technology, villains, and anything else he might need.

The AI was impressed by all of this new information and readily absorbed as much as it could. However, it knew that Wizard would have to be discarded eventually. Like Luthor was, he was simply a means to an end. However, this time he was far easier to discard if required. As he went through the knowledge Wizard gave to him, he found something that interested him. An empty husk, a body perfect to control. With hundreds of drones for a ready army, and its remains were in a secret lab just under the water.

' _Ultron… A worthy host for my superior intellect_ ' Brainiac thought to himself as he carefully started to feed ideas of using the rogue android into Wizard's mind.

* * *

"Wow… that's a lot of reporters" Flint said in surprise from behind a curtain. For the press conference that was being held they managed to rent out a stage for their use. Up on the stage, Captain America was making a speech to the crowd of reporters, going into detail over the secret plans and manipulations that the Wizard had been orchestrating behind the scenes for years. Many of the reporters furiously took notes, while their photographers took pictures.

"Of course it is. Its big news, hearing that you've been innocent of your crimes for the last few years" Zatanna smiled as she hugged his arm.

"Yeah, I guess you're right" he nodded before looking back into the crowd. "Wait is that Peter Parker out there?" he asked, looking at the former photographer for the Daily Bugle sitting amongst the press.

"I guess it is" she smirked before Captain America suddenly finished his speech.

"And now, without further ado, the Sandman" Cap finished as Flint stepped out onto the stage. He nodded appreciatively to Cap, shaking his hand before he took his place in the podium.

"Uh, hi. It's nice to see you all here for this. I'm not very good with speeches for crowds, but I'll try my best" He started before swallowing the nervous lump in his throat and continuing. "I know that to hear that my criminal activities until recently were actually perpetrated by a different super-villain is tough to swallow, but It's the truth. Having to watch my body do things I never wanted to… to commit crimes all over again… it broke me inside. My mind was just screaming for it all to stop, for me to regain control. But it never came…

"But that's the past now. I'm free, I'm a hero again. I know I wasn't in the Avengers long, and I regret quitting when I did, but I'm thankful to them for allowing back into their ranks as a reserve" he said, smiling at the small applause he got. "And I wasn't the only one. Salamandra was under the influence of the Wizard as well. But I'm glad to report that she has returned home" he nodded before shrugging. "So uh, I guess that's it then. That's all I had to say"

As soon as he finished, the audience exploded with questions, various reporters all trying to get an answer from him.

"Whoa uh… one at a time please" he said with a nervous chuckle before one stood to ask her question.

"Mr. Sandman, Betty Brant for the Daily Bugle. Where exactly have your whereabouts been for the last year? According to the Avengers you were sent through some sort of vortex?"

"Oh… well I've been in another universe actually" he said plainly. That just resulted in even more commotion and questions from the crowd.

"Mr. Sandman, Lee Kirby for Marvel Daily News. What exactly have you been doing in this other universe, and how did you get back here?"

"Well I can't go into specifics… that'd take too long. But, I will say that there is another team of heroes there, kind of like the Avengers, and that I've joined them. As for how I've returned Reed Richards built a device that allows travel between the universes. I don't pretend to know the actual science behind it, that just makes my head hurt" he joked, eliciting another chuckle from the reporters.

After a few more questions from the reporters, he finaly returned backstage to where Zatanna and a newly arrived Peter Parker were waiting.

"Flint that was a great job" She smiled, hugging him close.

"Really? You think so?" he asked with a laugh.

"I know so" the magician said with a confident smirk as Peter nodded.

"She's right, you did great out there. And now that your name is cleared you're free to go and enjoy yourself on your vacation" Peter nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks for bein' here Pete, it means a lot" Flint said sincerely.

"Wouldn't miss it Flint" he replied before shaking his hand.

"How's Karen doing anyway?" Flint asked curiously.

"Well right now she's training with Carol back at Avenger's Tower. After she's done I'm gonna give her a bit of a tour. Then I'll take her back to where she'll be staying"

"Good to hear. Give her my best okay? I think I need a drink after all this" he laughed before Peter walked off.

"A drink huh? Know any good bars?" Zatanna asked before Flint grinned.

"I know the _best_ bar"

* * *

Thanks to the reporters present, Captain America's speech had been broadcast live on TV. As a result of that, it had also been broadcast live on the internet. All over New York City, and in fact all over the country, people were soon aware of the truth about what happened.

One such group of people was a small trio of friends at Midtown High in Manhattan. One of the girls however, was not paying attention initially while her two friends watched on their laptop. That was the case, until Captain America revealed what the true nature of the conference was.

"Hey Keemia, they're talking about your dad" one said as Keemia looked up sharply. Despite how she had disowned herself from his years ago, she had started to have regrets over it. After all he did join the Avengers, and then during a battle with the Avengers he was gone. No one knew where, most just assumed that he was dead.

She walked over, taking a look at the conference as Captain America went on to say that Sandman's return to villainy after joining the Avengers was the result of the Wizard's mind control.

"Huh… A Wizard did it" Keemia chuckled to herself quietly before they continued to watch.

However, the biggest surprise for them was when Sandman himself stepped out from behind the curtain to start talking to the crowd as well.

'He's… he's really alive?' she thought in surprise before hearing him go on to explain how he was sent to another universe.

"Wow, I thought he was dead" her friend said absentmindedly before Sandman finished and walked off stage. Captain America walked back to the podium to finish the press conference but Keemia had since stopped watching, instead returning to her own seat with a frown on her face.

Her father was alive, and she was happy for that. As much as she made it seem that she wanted nothing to do with him, she had wanted to try and start things over. And now, with him back, she finally had her chance to at least get closure.

'I hope I can find him while he's here…' she thought to herself before returning to her book.

* * *

"This is the bar?" Zatanna asked, looking at the building skeptically. Flint had taken her to a bar on the far side of Manhattan, not too far from Soho. The outside looked unassuming, the sign above the door saying "The Bar with No Name".

"Yep, this is the place. Trust me, it doesn't look like much, but its home away from home" he assures her before stopping at the door. "Just, don't freak out when you see the patrons"

"Why would I… freak… out?" she asked, her voice trailing off as they walked in. All over the bar people were enjoying their drinks in costume. However, each of them was a known supervillain from Flint's world.

"Yep. The heroes don't know about this place, and we keep it that way" he says with a shrug. "It's the only place we can catch up and be actual people. Well, outside of poker nights" he laughed before approaching the bar. All over, various villains went about their own business.

In the back kitchen, Man-Killer and Blizzard worked hard cooking the meals. Asp and Black Mamba busked the tables, Boomerang played darts with Speed Demon off to one side, while Mysterio and Joystick were playing pool. However, Flint walked straight to the bar here two of his lifelong friends were enjoying their drinks.

"Can you believe that guy? Got a full pardon and everything" the shorter one laughed. This was Herman Schultz, alias the Shocker. On the bar counter his trademark gloves lay while his mask was pulled back. Vibrant green goggles rest on the counter as well as Herman took another swig of his drink.

"Come on Herman, he got a chance for a fresh start. Maybe we could get one too" his larger comrade shrugged. This was Aleksei Sytsevich, also known as the Rhino.

"Well you know, I could put in a good word for you" Flint smirked, as the two quickly spun around. Herman looked at him in surprise before grinning.

"Flint, you sunnova bitch!" he laughed before the two friends shook hands.

"Good to see you too Herman. And Aleksei, nice to see you out and about!" Flint grinned before clapping his larger friend on the shoulder.

"Back at you Flint. It's been a while" he smirked. "So what's an Avenger like you doing in the Bar with no Name?"

"Reserve Avenger" he corrected as the other villains grinned, seeing Flint's triumphant return. "Besides, you know me. I can keep a secret" he smirked before the others raised their drinks and cheered.

"Good to hear man. So who's the lady?" Herman asked.

"This is Zatanna. Zatanna, meet Herman Schultz and Aleksei Sytsevich. They were my best friends here" he introduced as Zatanna shook their hands with an admittedly nervous smile.

"Nice to meet you both" she nodded. Surprisingly, for Rhino's size he was quite gentle.

"Hey Flint, you said you got a fresh start in that other world" Rhino asked.

"Yep, best thing that's ever happened to me" he nodded. "Why, did you want to have one too?"

"Actually, yeah" Herman admitted. "Aleksei and I are tired of the same old crap. It's been months since I did anything illegal. My accounts in Switzerland finally generated some nice interest for me. I can now live comfortably off of what I got"

"We both want a second chance. And your world sounds good for us. Being a hero, who knows? It could be fun" Rhino added as Flint grinned.

"Trust me, it is. I'm sure the League would be happy to have you. Well, that is if they ask you to join" he corrected himself before suddenly Blizzard ran out of the kitchen.

"Everybody shut up, this is major!" the head cook yelled, calling their attention as he turned up the volume on the TV. The villains all watched in interest, before that interest turned to worry.

"Reports are coming in from the NYPD and the Coast Guard that there has been a massive prison break at the Raft prison facility" the reporter said as Flint cursed.

"Please don't be him" he wished as Zatanna held his hand tight.

"The breakout was reportedly perpetrated by Bentley Wittman, alias the Wizard. According to reports from the SHIELD agents at the Raft facility, Wizard's armour activated some sort of AI program before freeing him. Wizard then flooded the other villains armour with the same technology, whether willingly or not"

"AI? What sort of AI?" Shocker asked curiously, slowly pulling his gauntlets on.

"I can guess" Zatanna grimaced before the news showed an image of the escapees. Despite the grainy photo, there was no mistaking the three circles in the shape of a triangle on the armour of the villains.

"Brainiac" Flint said seriously. 'So much for a relaxing vacation' he thought to himself with a grimace.

* * *

 **And there! It has begun!**

 **So many Marvel Villains so little time too! I have included some of my favourites for cameos though, as well as a few unknowns. Also, if you can't tell Rhino and Shocker will become recurring characters in this fic after this point. Shocker will also be in his outfit from the Spectacular Spider-Man TV show. That outfit was just way too good to pass up.**

 **So Brainiac has finally made his move, but the Wizard seems rather low on his priority list. Could a betrayal be coming for the super-villain? And just what amazing battles will be coming the chapters ahead? After all, Wizard knows about the Soul Particle... perhaps there is a way to kill a Sandman...**

 **As always, be sure to leave your reviews! I love each and every one.**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	24. Homecoming Part 2: Sandman's Fall

**Hello once again!**

 **I'm back with yet another chapter for you my loyal followers. Once again I'd like to thank you all for sticking around this long and following my story. It means a whole lot to me.**

 **In exciting news, I ended up here with slightly more to write than I thought I would. That means instead of this mini arc being three chapters, it will be four. Extra story for you to enjoy! (I hope I can live up to my own hype)**

 **On a related note, this chapter hurt to write, for two very prominent scenes. One that is heart-warming and another heart-wrenching. I hope it's good.**

 **As usual, time for some reviews!:**

 **Lucian Naruto: Oh trust me, you ain't seen nothing yet.**

 **demonic hellfire: Yes, always**

 **Jestalnaker94000: They won't come out in one piece. At least, one of them won't.**

 **GodSwampThing: If Amazo were here the arc would be over in a second. But he will turn up.**

 **I Escaped the Loop: Well I'm flattered that my little fic here has such high regard with you. I hope the rest of it lives up to that standard.**

 **Johnathen: He'll be here soon**

 **Sgt. M00re: Honestly, while I loved the Mask movie I'm not exactly up for a fic based on it. At least, not one of any substantive magnitude.**

 **cabrera1234: Definitely.**

 **Daniel's the man 98: And it's all downhill from here!**

 **Thanks again for the reviews!**

 **I am looking for a new beta, so if anyone wants to take up the task be sure to send me a PM saying you're interested so we can work out the details.**

 **And now, for the disclaimer.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything other than the idea. Sandman, the Avengers, and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. The Justice League and all related characters are all owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Please support the official release.**

 **The next chapter begins now!**

* * *

 **Previously on** _ **Sandman Unlimited**_

 _"Reports are coming in from the NYPD and the Coast Guard that there has been a massive prison break at the Raft prison facility" the reporter said as Flint cursed._

 _"Please don't be him" he wished as Zatanna held his hand tight._

 _"The breakout was reportedly perpetrated by Bentley Wittman, alias the Wizard. According to reports from the SHIELD agents at the Raft facility, Wizard's armour activated some sort of AI program before freeing him. Wizard then flooded the other villains armour with the same technology, whether willingly or not"_

 _"AI? What sort of AI?" Shocker asked curiously, slowly pulling his gauntlets on._

 _"I can guess" Zatanna grimaced before the news showed an image of the escapees. Despite the grainy photo, there was no mistaking the three circles in the shape of a triangle on the armour of the villains._

 _"Brainiac" Flint said seriously. 'So much for a relaxing vacation' he thought to himself with a grimace._

* * *

"Flint, what the hell is a Brainiac?" Shocker asked, as he got back into his uniform.

"Well, think Ultron but worse" Flint said simply, causing the various villains to look at him in abject horror. "He's from the other universe"

"Then how'd he get here?!" Shocker demanded.

"Wizard must have smuggled him in! Every other piece of him was destroyed!" Flint yelled back before Zatanna stood between them.

"Look! You can have this little spat later, right now we have to stop the rogue AI amassing villains into an army!" the sorceress said seriously as they both nodded.

"You're right" Flint reasoned before looking up. "Alright, Donald put the bar on lockdown. Avengers' level. Afterwards, move to the backup location" Flint said as Blizzard nodded. "Everyone else, I recommend taking cover, unless you want to be an unwilling drone"

'And what are you gonna do?" Rhino asked, standing up.

Flint stared for a moment before smirking. "I'm a hero now. I gotta fight the evil robot" he laughed before the sound of explosions was heard from outside.

"They're already here!" Boomerang yelled before getting away from the window.

"Which one is it?" Zatanna asked with a frown, drawing her wand.

"Hobgoblin by the looks of it" the Australian villain replied as Sandman and Zatanna both rushed outside, seeing the crazed villain flying on an augmented glider. The Brainiac tech was very noticeable on the glider as he grinned maniacally.

"Oh goodie! Heroes!" he laughed before throwing a few pumpkin bombs at the two.

"Dleihs su!" Zatanna cast, as a barrier protected them from the bombs.

"Quick thinking" Flint complimented.

"Thank you. Now how shall we stop him?" Zatanna asked with a frown as the villain sneered.

"Your little fields won't protect you for long!" he roared before suddenly flying down at an unimaginable speed. However, before he could reach them, a large grey had grasped his leg before throwing him.

"Heads up Herman!" Rhino shouted, tossing the villain as Shocker met him with a high-powered blast right to his face. The goblin slumped to the ground, unconscious before Shocker went and used another blast to destroy all traces of the Brainiac tech in the glider.

"Damn Herman, what level blast was that?" Flint asked with a laugh.

"Level Three. Enough to give the web-head a good thrashing" he smirked. "But then again, Hobgoblins always went down easier than the genuine deal"

"Thanks for the assist, but wouldn't you two rather hide in the bar with your friends?" Zatanna asked as Rhino now approached the trio.

"Nah. Hiding might be safer, but it ain't right. Not when we can help it" Rhino reasoned.

"Besides, if we want a fresh start, helping out here might give us some brownie points before we come to your world Flint" Shocker added as Flint grinned.

"Well in that case…" Flint started before his Avengers' card suddenly let out an alert, calling all available members. "Whoa… this is a high level warning. Tony must want a full response"

"Then let's get a move on" Zatanna said before the four hurried off to Avengers' Tower to meet the others.

* * *

"Tony, did you really call all Avengers, even the reserves?" Captain America asked in surprise, looking at the numerous people who were waiting the briefing in Avengers Tower.

"Yes I did. JARVIS ran some scans on that android possessing the Wizard, and it is vastly powerful" the iron avenger explained, inside his Mark 42 armour. "It has power absolutely unparalleled, even against Ultron"

Captain America looked at him fearfully before nodding and staring back at the crowd. Among bigger names like Hawkeye and She-Hulk, there were members like Spectrum, Blue Marvel, Doctor Strange, and Moon Knight. Even reserves such as Firebird and the Fantastic Four were present.

"What did we miss?" a voice said calling the attention of Iron Man and Captain America. The two turned to see Sandman and Zatanna running back, ready for action. To their surprise they also saw Rhino and Shocker with them.

"We were just about to start Flint. Although, I must ask why Rhino and Shocker are with you" Cap asked, watching the two villains warily.

"Relax Cap, they're with us. They want to start over, and they already helped to take down Hobgoblin" Flint explained as Captain America gave them appraising looks. After a long silence he finally nodded.

"Fine, but one toe out of line and we're taking them down too"

"Wouldn't expect anything less" Shocker shrugged, before the meeting of the heroes was called to order.

"Alright, here's what we're up against" Iron Man started before bringing up a live feed of the breakout. "Wizard has amassed an augmented an army of over fifty well known and dangerous super-villains. He has also set them all loose inside New York City, with the exceptions of three; Electro, Hydro-Man, and Trapster"

"Why would he have those three set aside with him?" She-Hulk asked, her arms folded in interest.

"Simple, they're his new Frightful Four" Iron Man answered. "The only answer we don't have is where this AI program came from. JARVIS can't seem to find any trace of a possible origin for it"

"Yeah, I think I can explain that one" Flint said sheepishly before stepping up to where Tony was standing. "The program is a villain known as Brainiac. He's from the universe that I've been living in. Wizard must have brought over one of his chips, since the rest of his body was destroyed recently. As long as one piece remains whole, the program is intact"

"And what exactly are we dealing with regarding this Brainiac?" Captain America asked.

"Brainiac is a very powerful villain. Easily among the higher risks in the other world. He is an AI that made his own android body. His end goal was to record all knowledge in the universe before summarily destroying it. As for power… he can easily fight with their strongest hero. That means he's on the level of Thor or even the Hulk" he answered reluctantly as the other heroes collectively grimaced. Even Rhino and Shocker inwardly shuddered at the thought.

"So what would his end goal be here?" Tony asked.

"More than likely he wants to remake his device so that he can absorb all the knowledge and information on Earth and then destroy it" Flint surmised.

"So we should look for a potential location where he'll be remaking his device" Captain America reasoned.

"According to surveillance he has been perched over a section of the ocean not far from Manhattan" Iron Man pointed out. "His construction will take a few days likely, even with Wizard's help. Our first job will be taking down the augmented villains, as well as making sure other villains aren't absorbed into the fold. Willingly or unwillingly"

"Already ahead of you there. Hobgoblin got his ass kicked by us four" Shocker noted. "That and the Bar with No Name has gone underground. Provided all the regular customers get the memo, that's a few dozen villains outside of this mess"

"Alright, then our first job is containment and restraining the villains" Captain America said before nodding. "Move out!"

As the heroes all quickly moved out to respond to the disaster, Iron Man stopped Flint his faceplate moving to reveal his face. "Flint I know you're eager to head out but I have a specific location for you. Scorpion is moving towards Midtown High"

"Scorpion? Yeah we can handle that" he nodded. "But why him in particular?" he asked.

"Any other location and we would send someone different, but Midtown is already evacuating… and that's where Keemia goes to school" Tony revealed.

For a moment, there was silence as Flint slowly absorbed the information. Then, a stone cold look of determination came over his face as he gave a grim nod. His little girl was in danger, and he had to move, fast.

"You got it Tony" he nodded before running off with Rhino, Shocker, and Zatanna close behind him. 'Nobody goes near my little girl… nobody!' he though seriously as they moved out.

* * *

Offshore, Wizard stood in a small boat, taking some sonar readings from below the water. The other villains stood around, watching him carefully. They weren't quite sure why they were stuck with him on the boat, and Electro in particular was getting antsy.

"Come on Wiz! When do we get to move out already? I want to destroy that web-head!" he said impatiently as Wizard turned to look at him.

"The answer is simple" he said before smirking. "Despite the usefulness of a super-villain army, they are only temporary. However, there is a readily available army. Several hundred droids, made of a near indestructible metal called vibranium" he revealed as the other villains looked at him fearfully.

"You don't mean…' Hydro-Man started.

"Yes indeed Mr. Morris. We're going to put use Brainiac to upgrade Ultron's drones. And the main lab is under the water" the mad super-villain chuckled. "Now, into the water. I'll need you to pull the laboratory up above water so we can set to work. The Avengers don't know about this laboratory, and I'd rather keep it that way. In any case, they're focused entirely on the other villains"

" _Excellent. That should give us ample time to complete our objective_ " Brainiac said as Wizard nodded.

"Indeed. It won't be long now" he agreed, the other villains too preoccupied with their new task to take notice of what he was saying. "Although I must ask why we aren't just building the device again outright"

" _Simple_ " Brainiac replied. " _What good is making the device if the heroes can just as easily destroy it? However, with the drones providing a distraction for the heroes we have all the time we require to complete our true plan_ "

Wizard thought for a moment before nodding. "Quite right"

In reality, Brainiac only wanted the prime Ultron body. It too was locked in the lab under the water. Once inside, he could activate all available drones remotely. Wizard would be discarded afterwards, as he would no longer serve any purpose.

' _I shall destroy this world… and then I will return to destroy yours Kal-El… Soon, I shall have my revenge. First on the Sandman, then on the Flash… and finally, on the Last Son of Krypton!_ '

* * *

In New York City, the citizens were no stranger to villain attacks. As such, attacks were given a ranking of severity, much the same as hurricanes or other natural disasters. In the same vein, these villain attacks were also given evacuation protocol in case they ever happened.

However, due to the severity, this was a ranking that they very rarely had to resort to using. It was just under the highest ranking of danger, thanks to the vast number of villains released. The only thing keeping it from being any higher was that Graviton and other higher power villains were locked up in other facilities.

One such building under an evacuation was Midtown High. The former school of Peter Parker, Flash Thompson, and other noteworthy students was also no stranger to super-villains. After all, Spider-Man was at one time spotted around the school rather often, and so the villains would naturally follow him, or otherwise attempt to draw him out. One student in particular was waiting with her friends while the other students were moved to a bus.

"Are you sure you want to move to the front of the line?" Keemia's friend Samantha asked, watching the windows warily.

"I'm sure. We're safer inside anyway" she reasoned before seeing the villain approaching their school just down the block. A small ball of fear rose in her seeing that it was the Scorpion, however she reasoned that they would be safe. After all, as far as she or anyone else knew, Scorpion couldn't do anything too dangerous from his distance.

However, that small hope in her was soon erased by the fact that Scorpion easily hefted a car before throwing it at some police officers who were overseeing the evacuation.

"H-Hey… he's not supposed to do that! When did the Scorpion ever to that?" Samantha said hysterically as the buses quickly drove off, and the remaining students were herded inside by the officers.

"Heh, looks like your heroes aren't coming for you" the villain laughed before throwing another car, which sailed towards the wall of the building. It struck the wall with a resounding thump as the students stepped back. Despite the impact, the wall held strong.

The lines of circuitry now visible on Scorpion's costume then glowed purple, as did the three circles set on his chest as he aimed his tail at the car he tossed. Suddenly, a beam of energy was fired at the car, detonating the gas tank as the wall exploded inward.

Keemia was thrown back by the explosion, colliding with some lockers as she groaned, looking back up. The blast caused the walls to cave in, as a large gaping hole now opened to the outside. However, it also separated her from the other students.

"Well, well, well. Lookie here" a sinister voice laughed as Keemia turned to see Scorpion's figure looming in the hole he just made. "You're Flint's kid, ain't you?" he asked before slowly walking towards her.

"S-stay back!" she said fearfully, standing up slowly as the villain laughed.

"Stay back? Sorry kid, that ain't gonna work" he chuckled. "Flint and I… we didn't get along so well. Guess he didn't admire my violent work" the villain laughed before looking at her sinisterly. "But Flint ain't here, is he?"

"Wanna bet?!" a voice yelled as Scorpion felt himself get yanked back by an unseen force. As he was pulled out, he saw a very angry Flint Marko grasping his tail tightly with a large sandy fist.

"Oh… hey Flint" he chuckled nervously.

Flint glared in response before tossing him into the air. "Get away from her!" he yelled before swinging a mallet and launching him across the yard. Zatanna was waiting as she aimed her wand at the flying villain.

"Rac edilloc htiw noiprocs!" she cast as the ruins of the first car he threw suddenly collided violently with him, as he was sent flying across the street, where Rhino was waiting with a street lamp clutched tightly in his hand.

"Batter up Herman!" Rhino grinned before swinging the lamp as savagely batting Scorpion to where Shocker was waiting with powered up gauntlets.

"You got it Aleksei! One level-four blast to go!" he grinned before letting the blast loose at point-blank range launching Scorpion into a wall as he continued the blast. After another few seconds, the armour and suit around Scorpion slowly crumbled away, leaving a thoroughly beaten Mac Gargan slumped to the floor.

"Serves you right Mac" Shocker said, folding his arms as Rhino, Zatanna, and Sandman gathered round to inspect their handiwork. "We like Flint, and we like his kid"

Flint looked at the battered form of Mac Gargan before nodding. "Thanks guys, you have no idea how much this means to me" he said appreciatively.

"Hey, it's no worry" Shocker assured him before another call came over the communicator Flint carried.

"This is Falcon, I just got sight of Powderkeg and Grey Gargoyle menacing some people in a bank close to Soho"

"I hear you Falcon, we'll be there in a minute" Flint answered before looking back to see Keemia stepping out of the school, looking at them expectantly.

He stared back for a moment, unsure of what to do before Zatanna placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "We'll go on ahead Flint. You take care of this, I know it means a lot to you to see her. And if there's anything left of those villains, you can help with the clean-up" she said as Flint simply nodded in response. She nodded before turning to the others. "Come on boys, we got some more work to do!"

The two nodded before running off with the sorceress as Keemia continued to step towards her father, now a few feet away from him. With another period of silence Flint nodded to her, swallowing the small lump in his throat as he saw his little girl, all grown up. "Hey kiddo. It's… it's been a while, hasn't it?"

She nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah… it has." She said awkwardly, before smirking. "I heard you were sent to another world"

He laughed a little in response. "Yeah, I guess I was"

She nodded again before frowning. "When you disappeared… I… I thought you were dead" she admitted as tears brimmed in her eyes. "And despite everything that happened… and after everything I said to you, I realised I couldn't take it back. I couldn't take back all the things I regretted accusing you of. And it hurt… I didn't think I ever would…"

"Keemia… It's alright-" he started before she cut him off.

"No it's not! I just tossed you out of my life! I was a kid, I didn't know what I was doing!" she said seriously, tears streaming down her face as she continued. "You're my dad… and I just threw everything away! I listened to what the courts… and what my foster parents fed me, and for what?" she openly sobbed before hugging him. "I lost you… What would mom have said if I did that?"

He froze at the contact before holding onto her as she cried. He held back his own tears as he held her, her tears staining his shirt and wetting his sand as sobs wracked her body. "Your mother would have understood. She wouldn't have liked it, but she would have understood you completely… and you're not wrong to do it. I really screwed up with what I did. But when you got sick, I couldn't afford to care for you. I couldn't afford your medicine. I had to do something!" he said as another period of silence followed. After a moment, her sobs stopped, and she sniffed, wiping away some tears as she slowly let go to look up at him.

"I know… and I'm sorry for disowning you. You were just trying to help" she said, looking at him sheepishly.

"Hey, it's okay. I was wrong to betray your trust like that. And I'm sorry for it" he said, smiling softly at her.

She nodded, slowly starting to smile again. "I forgive you daddy" she said before shrugging. "I guess it wasn't all bad, after all you made me my own castle" she giggled, remembering when he took over an entire beach just for her.

"Hey, anything for my little princess" he chuckled before nodding. "I guess, I gotta go help the others. These villains have the Avengers busier than they've been for a long time"

"Oh yeah, I gotcha" she nodded. "Just one thing"

"Huh? What is it?" he asked.

"When all this is over… can I come live with you? In the other world I mean" she asked.

He looked at her in surprise before suddenly hugging her again. "Of course you can kiddo. I would love it if you came to live with me"

"You mean it?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course I do!" he grinned before letting go. "I can have the spare room at my place made up for you as soon as we get there"

"Great!" she exclaimed before nodding. "But you should probably go and help them. Powderkeg is a blowhard, but Grey Gargoyle could give them some trouble"

"Right. Stay safe Keemia!" he said before running off.

"I will dad! I love you!" she said, waving to him as he left.

He nodded, looking back to her. "I love you too!"

Once he ran off, Keemia looked to the slowly stirring Scorpion before stomping over and punching him across the face, knocking him out again. "That's for attacking my friends!"

* * *

"Vile villains! Thou shalt rue the day you set thine eyes on attacking the innocent people of Midgard!" Thor bellowed, swinging Mjolnir as lightning crackled all around the Thunder God. "Have at thee!" he yelled before releasing a massive bolt of lightning at the fallen forms of the Wrecking Crew, stopping them as they slowly attempted to stand and frying the last vestiges of Brainiac's technology that had been attached to the villains.

"Nice work there Goldilocks. That's the last of the villains by my count" Iron Man complimented as he flew down, dropping the unconscious form of The Melter, while Captain America pulled the groaning form of Vulture to the others.

"I sure hope so Tony. They've been almost more trouble than we can handle" the super-soldier panted as Iron Man looked to him in shock.

"Wait, you're tired? Captain America, the legendary Super-Soldier with heightened endurance and a decreased fatigue response thanks to my own father's technology, is tired?!"

"I guess that's what happens when you have to fight five villains back to back. Four of them being heavy-hitters like the Wrecking Crew here" he shrugged before wincing slightly. Wrecker got a lucky shot in with his crowbar earlier, and he was sure that at least one of his rubs was broken.

"The Captain is right Man of Iron. Despite my own love for a good fight, these villains are rather tiring. This… Brainiac… has made them rather troublesome indeed" Thor agreed as Tony pressed a few buttons hidden under a panel of his gauntlet.

"Believe me I know. Whirlwind got a lucky shot in on me if you can believe it" he laughed dryly before going over some reports. "Sandman and his friends have taken care of Powderkeg and Grey Gargoyle, Falcon and Black Widow took care of Bullseye, Spider-man and Galatea roped up Doc Ock, and I think it was She-Hulk who threw Plant Man through a window"

"Then is that the last of them?" Captain America asked hopefully.

"Yep. That's the last of them. Now we can focus on Wizard and his Frightful Four" Iron Man confirmed.

"Perfect. Where are they?" Cap asked.

"Well, according to the reports, they're out in the water. The closest heroes would be Flint's group… and Spider-Man"

"Call them in. We'll meet them there in a moment" he nodded.

"Right. Flint, this it Tony, come in" Iron Man radioed.

"I read you Tony, whatcha got for us?" Sandman asked.

"Well, good news for one. The last of the villains have been collected. All that's left is Wizard and his cronies"

"That is good news. Any idea where they are?"

"Yes actually, I'm send you their coordinates since you're the closest. You'll meet up with Spider-Man and Galatea first, and attempt to stop whatever it is they have planned. I'll be there with some backup soon enough. We just have to get these villains to some holding cells first"

"Okay Tony, I'll meet you out there"

"Roger that" he nodded before looking to Thor. "Thor, Spectrum and Blue Marvel will be here soon. They'll help you move these villains. Cap and I will be checking in on the others before we rendezvous with Flint"

"Understood" the God of Thunder nodded before standing watch over the villains as Iron Man and Captain America moved out.

* * *

"Uh boss, bad news" Trapster said nervously. "The last of your army has been taken out" he admitted sheepishly as Wizard didn't look up.

"That is of little concern to us now" the armoured villain replied.

"Are… are you sure?" Trapster asked, Electro looking at Wizard in similar confusion.

As Wizard turned to face them, the hulking form of Hydro-Man emerged from the water, having pulled the laboratory to the surface. "I am more than sure" he answered before flying to the laboratory and opening the dome around it. "However…" he trailed off before looking back to the shore. On the beach, he noted Sandman and Zatanna arriving, alongside Spider-Man and that Kryptonian clone CADMUS had made. "We have other matters to deal with. Electro, now is your chance to destroy that meddlesome Spider-Man"

"Finally! I won't let you down Wiz!" he cackled before launching himself to the beach with a massive burst of lighting while Trapster piloted his boat back to shore with Hydro-Man close behind to deal with the heroes.

" _With the laboratory at our disposal now, and the heroes summarily distracted, we cannot waste any more time. It is time to work_ "

"Agreed" Wizard nodded as he opened a panel to reveal a hidden keypad, before pressing some more buttons. As he did, a pod opened, revealing the android body of Ultron-Prime, still in stasis.

" _There is just one more piece of information I require before we proceed further_ " Brainiac said, catching Wizard's attention.

"Oh? And what would that be?" he asked, unsure of where this was leading.

" _The Sandman has proven to be quite the problem, and his amorphous sand body makes him rather troublesome in our attempts to deal with him. Is there anything you are aware of that would destroy him permanently?_ "

Wizard paused to think for a moment before nodding with a triumphant smirk. "As a matter of fact, I think there is" he revealed before preparing Ultron for the procedure. "Spider-Man once discovered that the entirely of the Sandman's consciousness is stored in a single grain of sand. When it is in danger it moves at an astonishing speed to ensure that it is not harmed. However, if it is separated from the other grains they will fall limp and he will have nothing at his disposal to control. If that grain were located, and tracked to its new location as it moved, you could destroy it theoretically"

" _Excellent. Then we can begin…_ " Brainiac said before suddenly firing several tendrils into the body of Ultron-Prime.

"What are you doing? We are not yet ready-"

" _You mean you are not yet ready. I, however, am more than ready to take my new body_ "

"But… But we were partners! We were to do this together!" Wizard barked, surprised at his sudden betrayal at the hands of Brainiac.

" _That is where you are wrong Bentley Wittman_ " Brainiac said as his technology left Wizard's armour, and rapidly entered Ultron-Prime. " _While Luthor and I were melded as one being in an equal partnership, we were not. I could not risk such a reckless action again. As such I made my own plan. After receiving the knowledge of the heroes inhabiting this world as well as their power, I realized a stronger body was necessary. One that would be a danger even to them_ "

The realization dawned on Wizard as the last of Brainiac's tech left his armour. "You retrieved knowledge of Ultron from me, and found him to be a worthy body. The Avengers couldn't destroy his vibranium body, and with his power and a waiting army of hundreds of drones… in hidden bunkers all over the world… all contained in one hive-mind connected to the prime body…"

Brainiac's technology finished its augmentation of Ultron before standing up straight and taking a few steps forward. " _And with the knowledge necessary to destroy the Sandman, I now have the power and the army necessary to complete my prime directive once and for all!_ " Brainiac-Ultron announced. Where the original Ultron's body was sleek, this augmented one was bulkier. Circuity wrapped all over his body as he now possessed a new armour. The three circles were laid over his chest plate as he flexed his hands, the fingers ending in razor-sharp talons.

"No… Not if I can stop you still. I started this mess, and I can still stop you!" he said, raiding both palms for a powerful blast, before finding that he had no power left in his armour.

" _No… you can't…_ " Brainiac-Ultron said ominously, before turning to face the Wizard. Then he raised one hand as he prepared his own blast of energy. " _Farewell Bentley Wittman_ "

Before he released his blast, Wizard came to one grim conclusion; Sandman and the Avengers wouldn't be enough to stop Brainiac now. No one was…

And then Ultron fired his blast.

* * *

Moments before and back on the beach, the four heroes reconvened briefly. Flint grinned wide as he saw Spider-Man swing down to where they were, Galatea alongside. "Webs, man am I glad to see you!" Flint said with a laugh.

"Right back at you Flint. Sorry I couldn't be here sooner. I got here as fast as I could, despite a certain someone thinking I was slow" he said before looking to Galatea who merely shrugged in response.

"Hey, I did say I could fly both of us here faster, but you wanted to swing here yourself, so don't go blaming me!" she retorted as Spider-Man groaned.

"Regardless, are we getting any backup here? Or are we alone against the so called 'Frightful Four' out there?" Zatanna asked, looking offshore at the three villains rapidly approaching them.

"Not for long. Iron Man said he and Cap will be here with some more muscle as soon as they can" Spider-Man answered.

"We just have to hold down the fort until then" Zatanna nodded.

"I hope we can" Flint grimaced as Electro landed on the shore first.

"Web head! Prepare to die!" the villain said with a confident smirk.

"You say that every time Max" the web-slinger retorted much to the irritation of the villain.

"You didn't just call him that" Flint groaned.

"My name…. is **ELECTRO!** " he roared before firing a massive barrage of electricity right at Spider-Man, striking the hero in the chest and sending him flying back.

"Peter!" Galatea said as she watched him fly back in worry before glaring at the villain. "You'll pay for that!" she seethed before launching at him. However, before she could strike him, she was met with a massive fist made of water before Hydro-Man reformed his body on the shore.

"Morris, come on man. You're better than this" Flint said, readying his mallets.

"I know Flint! He's just controlling me with his tech! It ain't me!" he said, clutching his forehead before swinging another large watery fist at him.

"Etaropave!" Zatanna cast, suddenly dispersing the water as Galatea arrived, helping Spider-Man to stand before he regained himself. At that moment, Trapster arrived in his boat before jumping onto the sand.

"Ha! It might be three against four, but you'll never defeat us!" he boasted. All four heroes rolled their eyes before Flint plunged his hand into the beach, as a massive hand suddenly grasped the Trapster. Then it swung back and forth, rapidly beating him into the sand until his Brainiac armour was destroyed.

"You were saying?" Flint smirked.

"Ugh… fine. Two against four…" Trapster relented before passing out.

"Yeah, that sounds about right" Spider-Man nodded before replacing his web cartridges with a different pair.

"Almost empty?" Galatea asked.

"Nah. I just have different kinds" he answered before looking at her incredulous face. "What? If I can make the normal formula I can make different ones!"

"Well what's that one do?" she asked as the villains started running at them.

He seemed to smirk under his mask before turning back to the villains. "This web is Electro proof!" he announced before firing off multiple web balls. The first few were destroyed by Electro's intense lightning. However, the last one suddenly, struck his face, blinding him.

"Augh! I hate when you do this!" the growled.

"We all do!" Flint smirked before using the beach to make one massive fist as he raised in above Electro's head. The villain pulled the webbing away in time to see it.

"Aw crap… you know what Flint? Sometimes I really hate you too" he groaned before the fist was brought down on him.

While Electro was being pummeled by Sandman, Hydro-Man retreated to the ocean in order to take on more water. He swung a large fist at Galatea, however she instantly froze it with her breath before smashing it to pieces. Spider-Man meanwhile, tried to distract him while Zatanna worked on bringing him back own to a more manageable size.

"Not to be overly negative here, but unless we can get him to shrink there is no way we can manage to fight him!" Spider-Man said seriously before dodging a sudden bolt of lightning from Electro who just stood back up.

"Well, maybe we should use basic science!" Flint called back, before throwing Electro at Spider-Man. Spider-Man nodded before firing a web line at the villain before swinging him at Hydro-Man. Galatea had just frozen him solid completely as a distraction, before quickly retreating back. Hydro-Man broke through the ice in time for Electro to collide with him.

The result was instantaneous, as the electricity immediately coursed through both villains and the water they were both submerged in. They screamed in excruciating pain before Electro was suddenly launched violently from the water. He hit the sand, all of the Brainiac circuitry completely burned off of his body before the water collapsed and revealed the body of Morris Bench. As Spider-Man took the time to wrap Electro in a tight cocoon of webbing, Flint walked over to where Morris lay, slowly stirring.

"Morris, you okay man?" Flint asked, walking over to check on his friend. Morris groaned painfully before shooting Flint a thankful smile.

"Yeah… thanks for the help" he nodded before passing out.

"So, now we just have to stop Wizard" Zatanna nodded before a figure suddenly collided with the beach, sliding through the sand for a good ten metres. The heroes stared at the figure before walking over to check on who it was, only to find the badly beaten and burned body of the Wizard.

"Oh crap…" Spider-Man dead panned as Wizard turned his head to look at them, his legs bent at awkward angles and he winced.

"You have to stop him… stop Brainiac!" he pleaded.

"Stop him from what? What's he doing?" Flint asked seriously.

"He's taken over Ultron!" Wizard said before passing out painfully, leaving Spider-Man and Sandman thoroughly frightened, while Zatanna and Galatea were confused.

"Flint, what's Ultron?" Zatanna asked, dreading the answer.

"He's this world's Brainiac…" Flint said before turning to Galatea. "Galatea, Tony and Cap are on their way, see if you can find them and get them here quickly. Webs, try and call some heavy hitters in. We'll need them" he says before running to the water's edge.

"Wait Flint, what are you gonna do?" Zatanna asked, following close behind him.

Flint stopped before turning back to face her. He took a moment to collect himself before giving her a sad smile. "I'm gonna distract him, see if I can't buy us some time"

"No… Flint that's insane you can't!" Zatanna pleaded as Flint nodded.

"I know… now you stay safe… I love you" he said before kissing her cheek and disappearing into the sand as she continued to call out for him.

* * *

Far out into the water, Brainiac-Ultron was still in the lab, in the process of connecting to the hive minds of the drones worldwide in order to activate them. The process would only take a few seconds, however he knew time was of the essence. His thought turned out to be correct as emerging from the water in front of him was the colossal form of the Sandman.

" _The Sandman… I suppose you are here to attempt stopping me?_ " Brainiac-Ultron asked, almost bemused by the situation he found himself in.

"You're damn right I am!" Flint nodded as he amassed sand into the form of one massive mace. "Any last words?"

Brainiac-Ultron said nothing, instead analysing Flint's body. He did quick calculations before he finally identified the single particle that held his consciousness. Inwardly smirking, he did another calculation to determine where the particle would move to keep itself safe. The millions of possibilities flashed through his mind in a matter of seconds before he raising his hand, preparing a single blast of energy.

" _Farewell_ " Brainiac-Ultron said before firing his small beam straight through Flint. Outwardly it appeared as though nothing happened. However, after another second it was revealed that the body of Flint Marko had frozen. His Soul Particle had been destroyed.

And then he crumbled away into the ocean.

* * *

Back on shore, Tony and Cap had just arrived with Galatea in time to see the colossal form of Sandman rise out of the ocean, towering over the android who continued to work in the offshore laboratory. The five assembled heroes watched warily as Iron Man stepped forward activating his sensors.

"What's going on? Brainiac doesn't even look like he's doing anything" Zatanna says in worry as Galatea used her enhanced vision to look as well.

"She's right, he just seems to be staring at Flint" the Kryptonian clone frowned as Iron Man shook his head.

"Not staring, analysing. According to my sensors he's studying Flint, almost as if he's looking for something. But what?" Tony mused as Spider-Man frowned. It took the web-slinger all of a second before he suddenly turned to Tony seriously.

"Tony, the Soul Particle! He's looking for the Soul Particle!" he said, suddenly causing Tony to take on the same amount of alarm.

"Spider-Man, what's the Soul Particle?" Captain America asked as Zatanna and Galatea nodded, none of the three having heard of it before.

"Flint's Soul Particle. It's a single grain of sand that holds his entire consciousness. All of his thoughts, his life essence, everything that makes him Flint is in that grain. In the past when I separated the particle from the rest of his sand it couldn't hold form. That particle holds all his power"

"And if Brainiac is looking for it, it's only for one reason" Tony cut in. "Think about it, Sandman can shrug off any attack, any injury that would cripple the rest of us. If he gets wet he can take on dry sand, if he melts he'll take on new sand. He's one of the few of us that are truly indestructible…"

"So the particle is the only way to kill him" Spider-Man said seriously as they all suddenly knew what was about to happen.

"Tony you have to get out there!" Cap said seriously as Iron Man wasted no time in rocketing off. However, just as he flew out halfway, Flint started to bring his mace down, as Brainiac-Ultron raised a hand and fired one single beam.

The heroes all stopped and stared for a moment, praying that the worst hadn't occurred, that Brainiac had been wrong.

"Flint…" Zatanna said quietly, taking a few steps forward. Then, the sandy colossus crumbled away into the water. The four on the beach watched in horror, frozen in their shock until Zatanna broke the silence.

" _ **FLINT!**_ "

The Sandman was dead.

* * *

 **Dun-Dun-Dun!**

 **Well, here we are. Brainiac has taken over Ultron, and will soon have a worldwide army of thousands at his disposal. Things are looking pretty damn grim aren't they?**

 **Oh and Flint's dead too.**

 **What will out heroes do now? How will the Justice League react to this news? And most important, what will happen to Keemia?**

 **Find out next time, right here on _Sandman Unlimited_**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	25. Homecoming Part 3: Zatanna's Army

**New chapter!**

 **Yes, I have finally gotten around to finishing the next chapter of this story. I apologize, since so much of my time now has been taken up by playing Pokemon Clover. I'm quite literally addicted to that game (IT'S SO GOOD).**

 **Thankfully, I was right with my previous assumption as I will have enough content for another chapter on top of this one to close the arc so that's always fun.**

 **Also, an important heads up regarding the next chapter. I will be having my second Q+A next chapter as well, so be sure to leave your questions in the reviews below, or to PM me with them. Leave as many as you'd like, and they can be about anything. I am willing to answer them all!**

 **Speaking of, onto the reviews:**

 **GodSwampThing: Now why would you be suspicious? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

 **TerrorKing10: Most likely**

 **JJChandler: Oh I wanted to. I so wanted to include him. But I couldn't find anywhere to fit him in that didn't distract from the rest of the chapter. But damn did I want to include the Juggernaut.**

 **Lucian Naruto: Basically it was in stasis with the body. When the opportunity was presented both would have activated together, but Brainiac took that over to stop it from happening. Now I did want to include a conversation between Brainiac and Ultron, but I couldn't find room for it. But if there is enough interest I could make a bonus chapter.**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Yep. Pretty grim.**

 **Johnathen: I don't watch MLP, nor do I know anything about it. I also don't have an interest so don't expect any of those stories in the future. Stan Lee will be sure to cameo though. As for YuGiOh... I'm a first series purist. GX I didn't like at all.**

 **Thanks again for all the reviews, and be sure to leave your questions for the next chapter!**

 **DISCLAIMER: The following is a non-profit fan-based story. Sandman, the Avengers, and all related characters are all owned by Marvel and Disney. The Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Please support the official releases!**

 **And with that out of the way, on to the chapter!**

* * *

What followed the crumbling body of the Sandman was a silence. A long, and deafening silence. None on the beach could completely process exactly what they had seen. Spider-Man and Iron Man were reeling, wondering how Brainiac was able to learn about and find the Soul Particle. Captain America suddenly felt all of his efforts to find Flint going to waste. Galatea lost someone to which she owed her new life. But Zatanna… Zatanna was almost catatonic.

She did nothing but collapsed to her knees on the beach, staring out into the water as the others quickly scrambled back to their senses.

"Tony… Tony we have to stop him!" Cap yelled as Iron Man nodded.

"I'll continue out, see what I can pick up from my scans!" the armoured avenger answered before continuing on his way out. However, before he could, he was met with the now hovering form of Brainiac-Ultron.

" _Mr. Stark… I'm glad you came to see this… my hour of victory_ " the android taunted before raising his arms. Suddenly, the dozens of Ultron robots inside of the lab floated alongside him, causing Tony to pause as he saw the androids. All of them were covered in the same Brainiac circuitry that the villains were, with the three circles emblazoned on their chest.

"Oh crap…" Tony muttered before Brainiac-Ultron seemed to smirk at him.

" _However, your audience to my success is brief at best_ " he said before suddenly the ground on the beach started shaking. " _You see Mr. Stark, Ultron hid labs all over North America… in some instances all over the world. Each holding dozens of bodies… dozens of replacements should he be destroyed… and now, they are all under my control_ " the android gloated as Tony's communicator suddenly blared to life.

"Tony, this is Falcon. We got dozens of androids pouring out on Upper Manhattan!" Falcon called before another call came through.

"Tony, Luke Cage here. Want to tell me why Ultron is invading Hell's Kitchen?"

More calls followed. Captain Britain, Alpha Flight, the Avengers Academy, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Doctor Strange, even the Punisher getting into contact with him. Tony suddenly realised the true plan.

"You've given yourself an army… a subservient, almost indestructible army!" he cried before rushing back to shore.

" _Indeed Mr. Stark… now I must attend to my plans… and I shall need room to work. My old device could engulf a planet… my new one shall engulf the galaxy…"_ he said before Brainiac-Ultron flew off. Then, the dozens of droids suddenly flew at the heroesas more crawled out from the sand of the beach, another lab having been hidden metres below the sand.

"Tony, we have a problem!" Cap called as he immediately set out into battle with the Ultrons, Galatea and Spider-Man joining him quickly as Iron Man arrived to give support with his repulsors.

"I know Steve, but this is bigger than we thought. Ultron had more bodies than we thought…" he said fearfully.

"How many more Tony?" Cap asked, decapitating another android with his shield before blocking a laser from another.

"According to what I can gather from the communications I've been getting… hundreds. Maybe thousands!" Iron Man announced as Spider-Man grimaced.

"Oh damn. Do we have enough help on hand to fight this?" Spider-Man asked, webbing three together as Galatea crushed them.

"Even if we got all the heroes on earth at the moment, we won't. Hell even with the villains helping it might not be enough!"

"We need more help then! We need an army!" Galatea said, using her laser vision to melt an android before it could attack Peter.

"But where will we get one?" Tony asked as Zatanna suddenly snapped back to attention. She took a look at the robots starting to overwhelm them before raising her hands, her eyes glowing an ethereal green. She then looked at one that approached her before clasping her hands together and forming a large circle in front of magic in front of her.

"Yortsed!" she yelled before the android was immediately destroyed by a wave of magic. "I know where we can find an army… I just need to get to the Baxter Building!"

"Alright, do it quickly!" Tony said seriously. The wave suddenly grew larger before the crack of thunder sounded.

"Have at thee!" Thor bellowed before striking down the last of the androids and landing on the beach. "Sorceress, make haste in your plan. We shall cover for you, but thou must hurry!" the God of Thunder said as she nodded.

"I will. Ekat em ot eht retxaB gnidliuB!" she chanted before stepping through a portal to the Fantastic Four's base of operations. Upon her arrival, she saw the eponymous four fighting off a crowd of the androids, Reed Richards having wrapped up a large number of them with his arms while the other three worked to destroy them as they struggled against their leader's rubbery body.

"Doctor Richards, I need to borrow your device!" Zatanna announced before blasting another android that was free. "I can get your world the help it needs but I need to use the portal to do it!"

The elastic scientist nodded before gesturing to the building. "It's just inside the building. Now hurry!" he called before Thing used a car to crush the last of the Ultron androids.

Zatanna rushed inside, wasting no time before she set the coordinates to her destination before stepping through.

* * *

Back in the Justice League's world, Flash was busy taking care of monitor duty on the Watchtower. With the majority of the screens displaying normalcy, he entertained himself with the television from the free monitor.

"Heh, I love monitor duty" the speedster grinned before hearing the opening of a familiar portal behind him. He turned quickly to see Zatanna step through before closing it behind her.

"Oh, hey Z. Back so soon? Did you forget something or-" he started before he was cut off as Zatanna shoved him aside before grabbing the intercom and opening all available channels.

"Attention all Justice League members and associates, we have an omega level threat! All Justice League members and associates please report to the briefing room!" she said seriously. As she did, Flash noticed her trembling. Her hands shook and her eyes were brimming with tears. Before he could say anything, the other founders suddenly burst into the monitor room.

"Zatanna, what's going on here?" Superman asked seriously before Zatanna looked up at him, holding back a sob. The seven looked at her, each having their own feelings of worry before she suddenly held her face in her hands, letting out wracking sobs.

"It's Brainiac… Wizard took him to the other world… and he's killed Flint!" she sobbed as the founders stared at her in shock.

* * *

Moments after Zatanna made her announcement to the founders, the heroes of Earth made their way to the briefing room in the newly established Metro Tower. Green Arrow walked in with Black Canary and raised an eyebrow at just how many heroes there were present at the moment. While he expected the reserves like Crimson Avenger and Speedy to be present, but he was surprised to see Huntress and Constantine having arrived as well.

Huntress in the wake of her help against the invasion of the Ultimen clones was given a new reserve status, under the watchful eye of the other members of course. While the vigilante could care less about being given the new status, it allowed for her to spend more time working with Question so she was happy enough.

Constantine was the real surprise addition. While he may be a reserve member, and often times worked alongside Zatanna, Etrigan, and Dr. Fate on occasion, he was well known for being a loner. On top of then he was also rather brash and cynical and so wasn't the easiest to work with. And yet here he was.

"Anyone here have any idea what's going on?" Arrow asked as Longshadow walked over.

"Nothing. Zatanna just called the alert and we came running" the Navajo teen explained. "Gotta be big though. We just barely got off the ground again, and I had to cancel some plans for this"

"You and I both kid, Canary and I were supposed to see a movie" he nodded before Dr. Fate interrupted.

"I'm afraid it isn't quite as simple as we think" the sorcerer said. "While we don't have the full story what I have heard is… troubling to say the least"

However, before he could explain further, Superman finally called the attention of the assembled heroes. "Thank you for your quick response. I know we're barely recovering from Brainiac's takeover of Luthor, but he's since resurfaced."

"Resurfaced? I thought you guys destroyed him for good?" Green Arrow asked as Superman frowned.

"So did we, unfortunately Wizard, the villain from Flint's world helping Luthor smuggled one of Brainiac's chips back, and it's only gotten worse"

"How much worse?" Dr. Fate pressed as Superman took a breath before continuing.

"In Flint's world there was a robot menace known as Ultron. He was nearly indestructible and proved to be one of their most dangerous foes, being a danger even to their own heroes. However a team of these heroes known as the Avengers was thought to have stopped Ultron. As it turns out Brainiac uncovered one of Ultron's old laboratories and has taken control of Ultron for himself" he said, noting the fear on the faces of the Justice League. "In addition he now has an army at his disposal all with Brainiac's technological enhancements"

"So we're joining the fight then?" Arrow asked.

"Yes we are" Superman confirmed as the heroes went to move out. However, before they could he looked up again. "There is something else you need to know before we head out" he confessed as the League stopped to listen. "Brainiac… he killed Flint"

The room went absolutely silent, everyone in various levels of shock and dismay at this revelation. For some, Flint had become a worthy ally, for others a brother in arms, and for others still a friend. However, for all assembled it was undeniable that Flint was a member of the Justice League. He had helped them to save the world, and he was a hero.

Green Arrow was the first to recover, his face hardening as he immediately pulled an arrow from his quiver, notching it in his bow. "Then what are we waiting for?" he asked Martian Manhunter looked up from the computer console.

"Since Brainiac's attack is occurring all over the world at once, you'll be sent in teams of two or three to join the other heroes of this world. If the case arises we'll be sure to move you where you're needed" the Martian answered before Zatanna opened the portal in front of them.

"Who's first?" she asked with a determined expression as the heroes all gave one unified battle cry.

* * *

"JARVIS, reroute all reserve power to the repulsors, now!" Tony said to the AI in his armour, before releasing a massive blast of repulsor energy into a large crowd of the androids. Alongside him, Thor batted them away with Mjolnir like nothing while Captain America bounced his shields off of a few adjoining buildings, hitting several androids in the process.

"Tony, we need that help soon. We're fighting a losing battle here!" Cap grunted, catching his shield to block the attack from another Ultron android.

"Aye, the Captain speaks the truth" Thor nodded, swinging Mjolnir before a barrage of lightning struck down another android who was carrying a nearby car.

"Just a few more minutes then!" Tony nodded before the street below them rumbled, slowly at first, with cracks continuing all along it. Finally, it burst open as dozens more of the androids poured out. One of them turned to look at Stark before Brainiac's voice came out of it.

" _It is futile to fight me Mr. Stark. While your tenacity is admirable, you will soon give in. This is no longer an age of humanity…. This is the Age of Brainiac!_ " the voice spoke as the androids started to swarm the three Avengers.

"Hsurc eht s'diordna daeh!" a new voice called as Zatanna crushed the head of the android that was speaking to them. She was joined by Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, who all joined in the fray to help the overwhelmed Avengers. Once the androids were left pieces on the ground, Superman approached Captain America.

"Captain America I presume?" the Kryptonian asked as the Captain nodded. "I'm Superman, these are Batman and Wonder Woman. We're from the Justice League, and we're here to help"

"Well we're happy to have it" Cap smiled, shaking his hand.

"We've sent our members out to assist the heroes of your world" Batman added.

"Which allows us to look for where Brainiac has gone" Iron Man surmised as Wonder Woman folded her arms.

"Any ideas on that?" she asked as Iron Man's face-plate swung up.

"Well, Brainiac has already told us what he wants to do; he wants to make a bigger version of his machine, one that can engulf the entire galaxy at once" he said as Batman frowned.

"He would need a large amount of space for that…" The Dark Knight mused. "Larger than the three blocks Brainiac used for his own device back in Washington. He would need an area of several square miles, in an area uninhabited enough that he wouldn't be easily found or disturbed"

"Then we'll need to start looking, and fast" Captain America said before turning to Tony. "Call Richards, and then you three can set to work searching. Thor, you head out and see if you can gather any heroes that aren't already fighting"

"And what about us?" Wonder Woman asked, gesturing to herself, Superman, and the Captain.

Cap looked at one still stirring android before dispatching it with his shield. "We keep fighting, and make sure the civilians are safe. Just how many heroes are in your League?"

Superman smirked. "Plenty"

* * *

"By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggarth, I command you… Be gone!" Steven Strange chanted, before casting a bursting wave of magical energy that destroyed several androids before he backed up as more approached him.

"Steven, we need help!" Clea called to him as the sorcerer supreme reluctantly nodded. He looked at his allies and grimaced at while they were fighting their hardest, they were still getting beaten back. Doctor Voodoo and Ian McNee blasted more from a distance while Elsa Bloodstone moved an injured Wong back closer to the Sanctum Sanctorum.

"Perhaps we can turn the tide for you" a new voice called before a large purple ankh flashed. When it disappeared, it revealed Constantine, Etrigan, and Dr. Fate, all ready for battle.

"Oh bloody 'ell, he wasn't kidding when he said an army of robots" Constantine mused before lighting a cigarette idly.

"Brainiac will beg release, as I tear his body piece by piece" Etrigan snarled before immediately leaping into the fray, releasing a blast of hellfire at the androids, before Dr. Fate turned to greet Doctor Strange.

"Steven, it has been far too long"

"Likewise Kent. Have you considered my recommendation?" Strange asked as the avatar of Nabu blasted an Ultron android with a wave of golden energy.

"Indeed I have, although that discussion is best saved for after the end of this battle" he chastised before both sorcerers supreme returned their full attention to the battle at hand. Constantine was still off to the side, taking a drag of his cigarette before Elsa came to stand alongside him, loading her gun.

"You just gonna stand there like some useless yank?" She asked with a sneer as Constantine shook his head, taking a long drag from his cigarette.

"Just need to get fired up love" he smirked before cupping his hands around the smoke. When he opened them, a massive burst of flames spilled forwards from his mouth, engulfing the androids directly in front of him.

Elsa merely blinked once before aiming her gun just past his head, not even looking before she shot one sneaking up on him. "You missed one"

* * *

Over at Avengers Academy, another similar assault was occurring. Dozens of Ultron drones were launching their own assault on the students of the academy, however the Avengers in training were able to hold their own well. Wind Dragon in particular took on a leadership role as he helped to direct the others in the attack.

"Hazmat, we need you in the west wing to drive back the larger wave" he said as the Asian girl nodded before rushing off with Lightspeed and Xavin. "Sister Grimm, you and Wiccan move the injured to a fallback position with Viv. Ultimen, with me!"

Another large wave of drones ran at the four assembled Ultimen before all of a sudden, a massive boot stomped on the androids. The four then looked up to see Longshadow, joining in the fray as he swatted another android to the ground. A group of them tried to strike him from behind, however they were met with a blast of energy from Stargirl's staff, while S.T.R.I.P.E. provided more aerial support with his missiles.

"Shadow!" Shifter exclaimed in surprise and relief before he shrunk back to normal size to hug his team mate. The others gathered around as they reunited.

"Man am I glad to see you guys. Are you alright?" the size-changing teen asked.

"We're better than alright, we're Avengers!" Wind Dragon exclaimed before shrugging with a laugh. "At least… in training"

"Hey! Save the reunion for later, we gotta stop these robots now!" Stargirl called before the students of the Academy all rallied behind their newest allies in the battle. Then, Wind Dragon raised an arm to the advancing wave.

"Young Avengers, Assemble!"

* * *

"Two more coming your way!" Spider-Man called as he webbed a couple of the Ultron androids together before swinging them over to where Galatea was waiting. She caught them easily before crushing the androids into a tight ball, tossing their remains at a crowd of the androids.

"How you holding up anyway? I could do this all day" Galatea smirked before using her heat vision to cut another in half while Spider-Man leaped about, dodging their laser blasts.

"Oh you know, dodging lasers. Nothing new. I wish the villains would get more creative sometimes" he snarked, firing a web ball to blind another android before it suddenly had a hole punched in its head by a newly arrived Supergirl.

"Getting lazy there sis. I'd have thought you'd finished this by now" Supergirl smirked.

"Oh please, ten more minutes and I would have" Galatea retorted before an arrow flew past her, implanting itself firmly in the face of another android, effectively stopping it.

"You can chit chat later, stopping the army comes first" Green Arrow chastised as Black Canary used her Canary Cry to destroy a whole wave of androids.

"Have you ever met Hawkeye? I feel like your legal battle would be one for the ages" Spider-Man joked as Green Arrow grinned.

"Challenge the billionaire to a copyright battle? Seems a little one sided" he laughed before firing an explosive arrow into the crowd of Ultron androids.

* * *

"Bang! Bang bang bang!"

"Wade you don't have to do that every time you shoot one of them!" Domino barked at her team mate, shooting one of the androids in front of her. Her team mate in question, Deadpool simply shrugged in response.

"I know, just makes me feel better. Besides, that guy gets to call out his attacks!" he defended before pointing to a wild looking individual. He had yellow skin, and for the most part wasn't wearing any clothes. Only green striped trunks and a large bushy red mane he used as a cape.

"Swipe, swipe swipe!" the man cackled as he clawed through the androids, leaping around.

"Wade, who the hell is that?" Domino asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I call him, 'Yellow Skin Wacky Man'!" Deadpool grinned.

"But I prefer the Creeper!" the eponymous Creeper finished.

* * *

Closer to the bar with no name, Shocker and Rhino were both tearing into the androids around them with vigour. They watched Flint get killed by Brainiac, and they were both devastated and enraged by the loss. As such, when they were suddenly presented with the opportunity to have their own revenge by tearing through dozens of Ultron copies, they gladly took it.

Shocker was firing level four blasts from his gauntlets, disregarding the pain that shot through his arms as he did. At the highest setting, level five, his shoulder was in danger of dislocating. As it was now, he was sore and tired but he kept firing. Unfortunately, his fatigue was starting to catch up with him.

"Aleksei, how you holdin' up?" he asked as Rhino tossed a car into a crowd of the androids, before kicking another down the street and into a building.

"Gettin' a little tired here Herman" he admitted. "Any idea where the Avengers are?"

"Now I ain't sure 'bout the Avengers, but I know where the Justice League is" a new voice called before the two turned to see Vigilante, Shining Knight, and Vixen.

"Justice League? So you knew Flint?" Shocker asked hopefully.

"Yes, Flint was a dear friend of ours" Shining Knight confirmed before drawing his sword as another crowd of androids ran at the five.

"And these varmints are gonna pay for what that blasted computer did to him" Vigilante glared before drawing his revolvers and firing into the crowd, hitting multiple androids while Vixen turned her attention to the ones that approached from behind, crushing them with the strength of an Elephant.

Inside the bar itself, the villains were watching the news reports about the reported Ultron invasion. However, they also saw the Sandman killed by that AI villain that referred to itself as Brainiac. They each frowned before finally, Donald emerged from the kitchen. He had taken the time to think and finally came to the conclusion he wanted. Thus he was now inside his Blizzard costume, idly cracking his knuckles.

"Listen, we can hide in here all we want, but those things are tearing up this whole island. They'll be coming here sooner or later. Besides" he said before going to the door. "They killed Flint. Now, I don't know about you, but Im gonna do something about it"

There was a brief moment of silence after he stepped outside as the other villains seemed to consider his words.

Then, down the street where Shocker and Rhino were fighting with the Justice Leaguers they were suddenly met the sound of a crowd roaring into battle. They looked down to see the villains pouring out from the Bar with No Name, attacked any Ultron drones they could find.

Boomerang threw explosive boomerangs at the ones that took to the air, Speed Demon ran around, pulling important components from the androids, Man-Killer grew thirty feet tall before swatting more aside while Blizzard froze several solid before using an ice-slide to attack more.

Between the heroes already working, and the villains now joining the fray, the androids in that neighbourhood didn't stand a chance.

* * *

Back in Avengers Tower, Tony was busy working with Batman and Reed Richards to try and determine the probable location that Brainiac had left for. The farthest they had gotten so far however was determining that Brainiac had left Manhattan. Other than that, they were at a loss as for where he could be.

"Do we even know if he is in North America?" Tony frowned.

"No, but I can easily track his computer signature through a weather satellite. All I need is the GPS coordinates of one that's relatively close in orbit" Batman mused before Captain America suddenly radioed to Tony.

"Tony, are you there?"

"Yeah I'm here Cap, what do you have for us?" the armoured avenger asked, looking over various video footage to see if he could track the rogue android's movements.

"I just got a communication from Sabra out in Israel" Cap said, catching the attention of the three heroes. "According to her, she and Arabian Knight were fighting some Ultron drones out there when they spotted Brainiac overhead. He seemed to be heading out into Egypt after raiding one of Ultron's old labs in Symkaria"

"Egypt? What would he be doing there?" Tony asked as Reed suddenly realised what was happening.

"Of course! Brainiac's is constructing a device to process the entire galaxy at once, so he needs a large expanse of uninhabited land where he will be unlikely to be found and disturbed. What is one of the largest masses of uninhabited land but…?" Reed started.

"The Sahara Desert" Batman finished, suddenly turning his attention to satellite video feed of the desert. After a few minutes of scouring with the other scientists, they finally located the area he was constructing the device. Brainiac had apparently begun his construction on the border between Egypt and Libya, using pieces of destroyed helicarriers and other large vehicle and electronic equipment.

"Do we have an estimated time until he finishes construction?" Batman asked, observing the satellite feed as Reed frowned, pouring over some calculations on a nearby whiteboard.

"Well, after taking into account the time already passed, as well as taking note of the amount of work already completed on the structure itself, I would have to say he will have completed his construction within the next few hours" he said with a frown before Batman nodded.

"Then there's no time to lose. Let's move" he urged before Tony started putting his armour back on as he radioed Captain America again.

"Cap, bring Wonder Woman and Superman back to Avengers tower. We've found Brainiac and we're getting ready to head out" he said before Reed cut him off.

"Tony, it is likely that despite the numerous androids that have been fought thus far, the largest concentration of them will be at that structure" the scientist reasoned as Tony frowned.

"You're right" he nodded. "Thor, find Dr. Banner if you can, we might need his muscle. Zatanna, get back to Avengers tower with whoever you can. We're taking the fight to Brainiac right now!"

* * *

Back at the beach that the Ultron invasion began on, a pale young woman walked along the sandy shore. She hummed to herself, stepping around the scrap pieces of the destroyed androids. Her skin was deathly pale, almost white, and she wore all black clothing. She wore light makeup, just black lipstick and eyeliner, and under her right eye there was a small black mark, in a spiral design. Around her neck was a necklace, a silver ankh on the end of it that bounced lightly with every step.

She twirled a black parasol in her black gloved hands idly as she walked looked around the shoreline as though she were looking for something. After passing past the last few scrap pieces of the robots she knelt down on the sand with a soft smile.

"I apologize for keeping you, I had to speak to my counterpart. Despite my protests that you belong in my realm, she is rather adamant that being here makes you her responsibility" she started, laughing lightly. She put her parasol off to the side as she traced a line in the sand.

"But it was worth it. After all, I am rather interested in you Flint Marko" she said before starting to pile sand together. Once she had enough she started to sculpt some together, her fingers carefully forming the exact body of Flint. "After all, you have escaped me before. Incredibly resilient, but you feel unworthy. Almost as though you're unsure of being a hero"

She frowned at that, before resuming her work on the sculpture. "I admit, at times I wanted to claim you. This time was no different, I was ready to swoop down and carry you off. You had made peace with your daughter, you could have easily left. But oddly enough it was my elder brother who stopped you" she added, forming his face carefully, making sure that his nose and eyebrows were just right.

"He told me that your destiny had changed… that now wasn't your time. For the first time in history I didn't believe him, and for the first time in history he showed me his fabled book. I must say, what I saw surprised me, but it made me happy as well" she added before finishing her work. "I am intrigued by you Mr. Marko, and I will enjoy watching you in the future. While my elder brother may have convinced me that you were to live, it was my younger brother who really convinced me. He is even more intrigued with you than I am. Now, it's time for you to wake up"

She stood, before brushing the sand off of her pants. Once she was content with how she looked, she leaned over before winding her hand back. "Wake up!" she said with a grin before slapping him across the face. Right that second, he sat bolt upright before cupping his face painfully.

"Ow! Dammit, what the hell was that for?!" he yelled at her before blinking. He looked from her smirking face, down to his hands, then to the beach under him. Taking a moment to process this, he slowly ran his hands over his body to make sure he was still there. Once satisfied he looked at her in shock.

"I'm… I'm alive?" he asked dumbly.

"Yes you are. A trivial matter for me" she shrugged before picking up her parasol, carefully brushing the sand from it before she opened it again, setting it on her neck so she was shaded from the sun.

"Wait, what happened? Last thing I remember is Brainiac shooting something at me…" he asked, clutching his head.

"Well, Brainiac completely destroyed your Soul Particle" she explained as he stared at her in shock again.

"He destroyed it… then I was dead! Oh man… Oh man, Z! What happened to her? What's going on now?" he asked in worry before a new presence made itself known.

"Perhaps I can answer that for you" Dream offered as Flint turned to look at him.

"Oh Morpheus, good to see you" he nodded. "I assume this is Death?"

"Yes, this is my eldest sister, Death of the Endless" he introduced as she shook Flint's hand.

"Well met" she smiled.

"Yeah… now would you mind telling me what happened while I was gone?" Flint asked as Morpheus nodded.

"It's simple really. After you were killed by Brainiac, he activated all the Ultron drones worldwide. He attacked with his army of thousands, and the heroes of this world were almost over-whelmed. Zatanna however, brought the Justice League to this world and they immediately helped to turn the tide. Now, Zatanna has gone with some of the Justice League, and this world's Avengers to try and stop Brainiac from completing his plan"

He nodded slowly, processing it all before looking up. "And what is his plan exactly?" he asked, almost dreading the answer.

"Oh, he's rebuilding his device on a larger scale in the Sahara Desert in order to process and entire galaxy at once" Death explained as Flint groaned.

"Damn it… I really screwed up, didn't I?" he asked. The two siblings shared a look before Death shook her head, placing a comforting hand on Flint's shoulder.

"You couldn't have known that Brainiac would have found your Soul Particle. Even then, it wasn't your fault. You died trying to fight him. In that, you rallied the villains of this world to help fight back against the army" the immortal said to him. After a moment he looked up at the two again.

"I need to get to that machine. Z is over there, she's probably worried sick to death about all this. And they're gonna need the help" he said, starting to walk off.

"And what are you going to do? You're just a man made of sand" Dream asked, a playful smirk on his face. Flint stopped before looking back with his own smirk.

"Nah, I ain't a man made of sand; I'm a **HERO** made of sand" Flint corrected him as both siblings broke into wide grins. "And I'm gonna save the world"

"Just be warned Flint" Death said to him. "I may have restored you to life, but I can't do it again. You have this one life left, don't waste it" she urged him. He stared at her for a moment before nodding dumbly.

"Good to know" he said before running off. As he ran, he idly thought to himself 'How the hell am I gonna get to the Sahara Desert? Wait, I'm an Avenger! I can use a Quinjet!'

Dream watched him run off before turning back to his sister. "I believe we should leave before we overstay our welcome sister"

"I think we might be too late for that" she laughed before the two looked at another immortal being in front of them. She was a clearly female visage, wearing a long, flowing black robe. However, the face under her hood was clearly a skull. She was the Death of this universe.

"I have permitted you to stay in my domain long enough, but now you must leave" she urged as the two siblings nodded before leaving. Once they were gone, Death watched Flint run off before shaking her head.

"I'll get you someday Flint Marko. Someday"

* * *

With the battle starting to turn in the favour of the heroes, they started moving further around New York to destroy the rest of the army. Vigilante left with Vixen and Shining Knight to finish up in Hell's Kitchen while Shocker and Rhino stayed around Soho. However, after destroying the last of the androids, Shocker finally fell back on a nearby bench, breathing heavily.

"Damn… Is that the last of them?" he asked, hoping it was. Thankfully his large armoured companion nodded before sitting on the ground next to him.

"Yeah… it was. I think we're good" he nodded, the two sharing a nod as they bumped fists, happy to be free from the battle for at least a minute. After a moment Rhino sighed, shaking his head. "I'm gonna miss him Herman"

Shocker looked at him for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, me too. He was a good man" Shocker sighed, taking his mask off as they reminisced about Flint.

"Hey, can either of you fly a Quinjet?" Flint asked, running up behind them as they both jumped in surprise.

"Holy- Zombie!" Shocker yelled before aiming his gauntlets at Flint.

"I'm not a zombie you idiot, I'm me!" Flint said in frustration as the two took a minute to process this.

"Flint? How are you alive man? We saw you die on the news!" Shocker said, putting a hand on Flint's shoulder, unsure if he was even real.

"That's a little complicated, but Death basically brought me back" he said before remembering something. "Oh, not your Death, the Death from the other world"

"Oh good. And here I though Wade would get jealous" Rhino snorted before Sandman shook his head.

"Listen, we can go over this later. Right now I need to get to the Sahara Desert. Can either of you fly a Quinjet?" he asked again as the two thought for a moment.

"Well, I have flown similar controls before. I think I could do it" Shocker answered before Flint grinned.

"Perfect, come on!" he said before dragging Shocker off to find one of the Quinjets, Rhino following close behind the two of them.

* * *

"Well, this is it huh?" Flash asked, looking across the desert at the incredibly large mechanical spire being constructed just ahead over the dunes. On the way over, the rest of the League founders had joined them, ready to fight. Zatanna was more than happy to have the help, and so were the four Avengers they had on hand.

"Yep, this is it" said Dr. Bruce Banner, a famous scientist who studied gamma radiation.

Superman was only worried for the Dr.'s safety, watching him with a frown. "Are you sure you should be here Dr.? This could get dangerous"

Banner nodded to the Man of Steel, a small yet confident smirk on his face. "I'm sure. Besides, it looks like we might need the muscle" he said, before jerking his head to the spire. The others looed to see a sudden swarm of androids flying at them, while the original Brainiac-Ultron stayed near the structure.

"Alright, get behind me Doc" Green Lantern said to Banner, levitating in the air as he got ready to attack the androids with blasts from his ring. However, Banner ran past the other heroes, approaching the swarm of androids.

"Is he crazy?!" Shayera asked as Iron Man shook his head.

"No…" he answered simply before Banner transformed before their eyes into a ten foot tall green behemoth, letting loose a primal roar as he leapt into the swarm. "The word would be incredible"

The League watched his savage attack with surprise, unsure of how to respond. Finally, Diana was the first to speak, only muttering a single word.

"Hera…"

"Aye, I believe my first response to the Hulk was something about my father's beard" Thor smirked before the Amazon returned it in force.

"Oh, a Nord? Perhaps I can show you how a real warrior fights" she smirked before the two gods leapt into battle alongside Dr. Banner, the other heroes close behind them.

Iron Man, Green Lantern, Superman, and Hawkgirl all took to the sky attacking from above and providing aerial support for their grounded allies. Martian Manhunter took the middle ground, attacking one's his air-borne teammates missed while also making sure the ground had cover.

Captain America lead the ones on the ground, with Flash running circles around all of them to catch the androids they missed before they could launch surprise attacks from behind. Zatanna used her magic to blast large waves of enemies while Batman used his close range combat expertise to dispatch any android he could get his hands on.

Brainiac-Ultron was even distracted from his work to briefly glance at his rapidly failing army. Between all of the heroes on the field, their joined combat experience, and their own powers, they were cutting massive swathes through his waves. Finally, the last drone fell as Brainiac gave a low growl of annoyance.

In response, he raised a hand before firing a massive blast of energy, forcing the heroes to take cover behind Green Lantern's quickly conjured shield. Brainiac-Ultron appeared undeterred as he floated over to them slowly.

" _You have interfered with my plans for the last time… My machine is complete, and my success is imminent. None of you have any hope of defeating me"_ the android gloated, conjured any spare metal he had to slowly circle around the grouped heroes.

"Grr… Hulk smash puny Brainiac!" the Hulk growled before being struck with a massive piece of rebar.

" _Silence you green simpleton! I am Brainiac, the greatest intellect in this world, or any other!"_ The android barked, ignoring Iron Man muttering something about an individual called 'Moon Girl', and how she was more intelligent. " _You have failed! This world is no more! After I have destroyed this galaxy I will move on! The Kree, the Shi'Ar, the Skrulls, all will fall to me! Then, the other universe! All other universes will be powerless to stop me! I am a God! I am-"_ He was suddenly cut off as the massive form of a Quinjet suddenly struck him, travelling fast as both figures suddenly crashed into the sand.

"Is that my jet?!" Iron Man asked in surprise and frustration as the Jet's engines shut off. After a minute, shouting could be heard from inside. The heroes all took tentative steps forward before the door of the jet was punched free from its hinges.

"Damn it Herman! You said you could fly it!" Rhino yelled before climbing out, Shocker close behind him as the two were clearly arguing over their crash.

"I said I could fly it, not _**LAND**_ it" Shocker clarified as Captain America cleared his throat to call their attention.

"Gentlemen, good to see you. But why are you here?" the Captain asked as Shocker jerked a thumb back to the jet.

"Oh, just dropping someone off" he replied, however before anyone could ask what he meant, Brainiac-Ultron lifted the jet above his head and threw it away, where it landed at the foot of the tall spire.

" _You dare to attack me? Your deaths shall be swift"_ he yelled before floating into the air. However, as he did the ground started to shake.

"Great, what now?" Flash asked as the others looked around, searching for the source of the disturbance.

"Wait, I don't think this is Brainiac" Iron Man said, looking around. "My sensors aren't picking anything up, nothing close to Brainiac's tech signature anyway"

"Wait… if it isn't Brainiac, then what?" Superman asked as Zatanna gave a small, hopeful smile.

"Flint…" she whispered.

Then, next to the spire a massive hand shot out of the desert. The sand around the heroes swelled before being pulled from under their feet as the hand grew. Finally, it equalled the height of the titanic two-hundred foot spire before pushing it over with little effort.

Brainiac-Ultron stared at the hand in shock, before growling in rage. " _Impossible! I destroyed you!_ " he yelled before even more sand was taken up. It slowly formed a body to fit the massive arm, and then the head on top, the other heroes looking on in shock at seeing their supposedly dead team mate, clearly alive before their eyes.

" **You tried, and you failed** " Flint's voice bellowed with a rumbling chuckle. " **Now live with it! Because I'm going to take you down!** "

* * *

 **Boom! Next time on _Sandman Unlimited_ Brainiac is getting his ass kicked!**

 **Also, Cameos! So many Cameos! And Elsa Bloodstone being a badass!**

 **As always be sure to leave a review, I appreciate them all! And don't forget your questions! I'll answer them all next time!**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	26. Homecoming Part 4: Keemia's Family

**Here it is, the end of this mini arc.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. For my own original content, I hope it lives up to the quality of my previous chapters.**

 **Speaking of, there is one thing that I must address about the previous chapters. And this is really important so you need to remember this before reading this chapter; the Timeline. Yeah, I figured that the passage of time here would be a little confusing, so here it is. Between the first chapter during "Starcrossed" and the chapter for "Dark Heart" one year has passed. Then, from then on, six more months have passed until "The Balance". The remainder of the CADMUS arc takes place over two months, with the events of "Flashpoint", "Panic in the Sky", and "Divided we Fall" all taking place on the same day. One week passes again until the "Homecoming" mini arc, and this arc, while mostly occurring over the course of one day, will ultimately take another week to complete by the end of it all.**

 **So in total, one year, eight full months, and two weeks have passed since Flint arrived. This will hopefully make the time Flint's had to build relationships make a little more sense.**

 **Sadly, due to the lack of responses, the Q+A for this chapter has been cancelled. However, there will be one more for the actual finale of this story so no need to worry there. Speaking of, time to take a look at the reviews from last time:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Oh, he will. He most certainly will.**

 **JJChandler: Meh, probably not. I mean I might make a story with the Juggernaut in the future, but not right away.**

 **johnathen: He will show up again.**

 **Lucian Naruto: Well I can see how that might be a little impossible to find the single Particle, since that would be at minimum 16000 grains to sort through at once within the span of a few seconds. However, given the advancement of Brainiac's technology I figured he could do it. 12th level intellect and all.**

 **espiderhan: I'm always glad to hear such positive feedback, and I am most certainly glad that you've loved the story up to this point. I have to say, I am a massive fan of "From the Ashes" and the other fics that occur in that universe by Agent Malkere. If anyone wants another good Justice League fic to read, I recommend them.**

 **chucky700: Nah, they're just all Thunderbolts.**

 **Now, before the disclaimer, I just have one question for you all. After playing the original Injustice, and being hyped as hell for Injustice 2, I considered doing an Injustice fic... within the _Sandman Unlimited_ universe. Granted it won't happen until after the sequel story for Young Justice, but are you interested. So my question today; Should I write an Injustice fic starring Flint. Leave a review to let me know!**

 **Now, for the disclaimer: I don't own anything in this fic beyond the original idea. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. The Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Please support the official releases.**

 **And away we go!**

* * *

Rage. That was the only thought that crossed the mind of Brainiac at this moment. Pure, unbridled rage. Rage for the being who he had thought to have destroyed, someone who should not be alive. The android clenched his fists tight as he stared at the towering figure of Flint Marko, energy crackling wildly from his hands.

" _How dare you destroy my work?! Are you aware of the power you dare to taunt?_ " Brainiac-Ultron shouted arrogantly as Flint smirked. The android then moved to his tower, attempting to start repairs before a massive column of sand launched Brainiac away. The column grew over three hundred feet before it was brought down onto the tower, crushing it.

" **Are you?** " Flint retorted before Brainiac-Ultron stood up again, glaring at the Sandman with murderous intent.

" _While I may not be aware of how you survived my initial attempt, I shall not fail again_ " the android called before pressing a hand to a piece of the destroyed tower. Within seconds, it was absorbed and taken into the android as more circuitry expanded to absorb more of the wreckage. As he took on more pieces of the wreckage, his own body started to grow in size and in bulk.

Within minutes, Brainiac-Ultron had absorbed the majority of the tower, as well as the destroyed drones that had been left strewn about by the heroes. Now, he stood as a massive mechanical colossus, almost two hundred feet tall. It resembled a much larger version of the main Ultron body, albeit bulkier and with large armoured shoulders. The three Brainiac circles were emblazoned on the chest of the android, as the head still appeared as Ultron's own.

" _Flint Marko… prepare to meet your imminent destruction…_ " Brainiac-Ultron's new form bellowed, before raising a hand to the titanic Sandman. " _Do you have any last words?_ "

Flint looked at the heroes on the ground for a moment before nodding. " **Yeah… do you know how many grains of sand there are in the Sahara Desert?** " he asked.

The android was silent for a moment, as if processing the question. Then, he answered. " _There are approximately 1.5 septillion grains of sand in this desert_ "

Flint suddenly smirked. " **And guess who can control them all!** " he called before his arms suddenly doubled in size, forming massive mallets.

"Flash, we need to move the others now!" Superman yelled to the scarlet speedster.

"Don't have to ask me twice!" Flash nodded before grabbing Batman and speeding away while Superman moved the Hulk. Within seconds, they got all the present heroes away from the vicinity before turning back in time to see the mallets begin to swing away at Brainiac.

"So this is it…" Bruce muttered, watching as Brainiac attempted to fire a massive beam of energy, only for a column of sand to form a glass prism and reflect the energy away harmlessly.

"This is what?" Superman asked, the other heroes looking to the Dark Knight in interest.

Batman was silent for a moment before he suddenly smirked. It was small, and barely noticeable, but for the other founding Leaguers it was a serious surprise to see.

"His full potential" Batman answered.

The group then looked back to the battle of titans, amazed by the sheer power displayed by not only Brainiac, but Sandman as well. However, Zatanna wasn't paying attention to the battle. The only thing that she could focus on was Flint. Just seeing his face… seeing him alive. It almost overwhelmed her. Remembering how she almost lost him… how she did lose him. It was almost too much to bear.

But then she watched him strike the crazed android. Large columns burst forth from the desert, and he swung massive mallets and maces. Brainiac could only blast away the sand temporarily but he was largely unable to fight back. Seeing Flint fighting back, and stopping the robotic menace, she couldn't help but swell with pride.

"Kick his ass Flint" she said to herself with a pride filled smile.

* * *

" _Infernal simpleton! How dare you strike Brainiac?_ " the android shouted, frustrated at his failure to kill the Sandman the first time, as well as at his failure to land any significant blows. Not only that, the repeated and numerous attacks were making Brainiac completely unable to locate the Soul Particle to destroy it again.

In addition to this, Flint Marko now had millions upon millions of tons of sand to bend to his will. Brainiac's attempt at seclusion for his device's construction only lead to his own downfall. And that was something that irritated the android more than his current battle; that he was the mastermind of his own failure.

His thought were disrupted by a sudden spire of sand piercing the shoulder of his larger mechanical body, making the limb useless as a massive swell of sand suddenly envelope his body up to his torso, effectively burying him. Then it started to slowly constrict him as Flint moved in closer, smirking confidently and condescendingly.

" **I gotta admit, the number of people who could hurt me could have been counted on one hand. You're the only one to have succeeded in killing me** " Flint started, no looking down at the struggling mech, squeezing his sand tighter. " **But, as much as I want to gloat, I gotta stop you** "

" _How… did you survive?_ " the android sputtered out in frustration.

" **Trade secret. But think about it this way, if you failed to kill the Justice League…** " he started before leaning closer and smirking wide. " **How could you ever hope to kill me?** "

He squeezed the sand tighter, crushing the joints and internal machinery of the massive suit before the sand suddenly fell away, allowing Brainiac-Ultron's massive form to crumble to its knees on the ground. At first the android was confused as to why he was suddenly released, before it then realised that it couldn't move.

The Sandman had completely left him immobile.

Brainiac-Ultron tried in vain to move before beginning the process of ejecting his main body in an attempt to flee. However, when the body of his mech was crushed by Flint, it had inadvertently trapped his legs inside the mechanical colossus.

The sand that had previously surrounded and crushed him, suddenly amassed into a large cloud of swirling sand, obscuring the two from view. Within the massive sandy vortex, Flint had faded into the swirling cloud as a massive collection of limbs and weapons shot from the cloud to strike the villain. After thoroughly pummeling him, a massive column of sand suddenly launched the massive armoured suit in the air before Flint's hand grabbed him before slamming his back into the earth as hard as he could.

Brainiac groaned, looking up as the vortex continued before a massive axe of sand suddenly slams right into the chest of his suit. Flint held the axe firmly in Brainiac's suit before raising a massive hammer and using it to drive the axe deeper. Again, and again. He kept pummeling him until a massive gouge was made in the armour, with pieces of the metal cracked and torn as sparks flew out from the exposed electrical components.

Brainiac looked up weakly at Flint, mustering as much of a glare as he could. " _Who… do you think you are… to dare stop… Brainiac?_ " the android sputtered.

Flint stared for a moment before smirking once again. " **I'm the god damn Sandman!** " he yelled triumphantly before the vortex suddenly poured into the mech, more and more sand rushing in a forcing it apart. Flint followed soon after, cramming as much sand as he could into the armour before crushing the main power cell and the Brainiac-Ultron inside as the android villain gave one last cry of anger and disdain at his failure and destruction.

* * *

The heroes watched from a distance as the whirling vortex of sand died down, pouring inside the body of Brainiac-Ultron before everything suddenly fell silent. Nothing moved, as the large android body remained motionless, and even the sand appeared to have stopped moving.

"So… is it over?" Flash asked, taking a tentative step forward. As he did, the body suddenly exploded in a massive burst of fire and sand. The heroes shielded themselves from the blast before Captain America nodded.

"Yeah, it's over" the super soldier said as the other heroes gave a sigh of relief. Then, the sand in front of them stirred as Flint reformed his body in front of them.

"So, how'd I do?" he asked before Superman immediately walked forward and clapped him on the shoulder.

"You did good Flint. Real good" he said as Captain America nodded.

"He's right. You might have saved the multiverse just now" the super-soldier smiled as Flint blushed faintly at the praise before going to reconvene with the rest of the League founders. Batman and Green Lantern both shook his hand, grateful smiles on their faces. Hawkgirl did much the same, but also gave him a small hug. Flash clapped him on the back, a large grin on his face while J'onn and Wonder Woman both politely nodded to him.

That left one last member of the League present as the founders gave knowing nods, stepping away with the Avengers Shocker, and Rhino to give Flint and Zatanna some time alone together. Flint looked at her, before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as she stepped towards him.

"Sorry for uh… dying on you" Flint said, chuckling nervously. Zatanna, to her credit didn't look at him with disdain, or even frown. Instead she just shook her head with a sigh before smirking.

"I keep telling you to stay out of trouble. Good thing you don't listen" she said before immediately wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him tenderly.

Flint blinked in surprise before wrapping his arms around her waist and returning the kiss. After a moment, they finally broke, each smiling as they stared into the others eyes. Finally, Zatanna spoke.

"You do realize if you pull that crap again you're in so much trouble" she said as Flint shrugged.

"Yeah I figured that" he chuckled. "Now come on. The rest of the league will probably want to know I'm back"

* * *

Thankfully, as a result of Flint's destruction Brainiac, the remaining Ultron drones all fell over limply as their connection to Brainiac was severed. All over the world, heroes cheered as the fight was finally over and they had emerged victorious.

The remaining pieces of Brainiac's technology was immediately confiscated by the League for proper storage, fearing what would possibly happen if the technology once again fell into the wrong hands of the villains of the other world. Flint, imagining what Octavius or Osborn could do with Brainiac's technology agreed wholeheartedly.

Wizard was currently sitting in a hospital bed in Manhattan. His attempted attack against Brainiac resulted in him receiving second degree burns across his torso, as well as several cracked ribs, and two dislocated knees. Once he was out of the hospital he would be moved back to the newly repaired Raft prison. While he sat in his bed, he looked at the news report on the TV to hear that Sandman and the other heroes were successful in stopping the maniacal AI. He gave a small sigh of relief before shaking his head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you Flint Marko"

The destruction caused by the drones was thankfully minimal, as their main objective appeared to be entirely distracting and assaulting the various heroes and metahumans who would try to stop Brainiac. Regardless, the League was more than happy to join in the cleanup effort. After the remaining drones were all removed by the combined efforts of the League, Avengers, and SHIELD (Who was looked at suspiciously by the founders of the Justice League), the heroes all gathered together at Avenger's Tower to celebrate their victory.

Initially, the League was surprised by the fact that Flint was once again alive, however after getting over the initial shock, they were all extremely glad to have their teammate back. Green Arrow in particular patted him on the back with a smirk.

"I know you're scared of my poker face, but you can't escape poker night that easily" the archer joked, only to be met by Black Canary slapping him lightly on the head, and Zatanna levelling a glare in his direction. Arrow shuddered at the sight of it before looking to Flint. "How does she make that scarier than Batman's?" he asked.

"If I knew I'd tell you" Flint laughed as he turned to look at the other heroes mingling. The real surprise to him was seeing Constantine actually sticking around for the festivities as opposed to escaping outside for one of his famous smokes. Instead, the warlock was nursing a glass of brandy while exchanging stories with Elsa Bloodstone.

"So you're a monster slayer?" he asked before smirking. "Ever wrestle a minotaur?"

"No, but I scalped a Nundu with a teaspoon when I was five" she replied with her own triumphant smirk as he gave a short barking laugh.

"Love, I've conned demons"

"Well "love", I've shot demons. Turns out they explode" she retorted only to frown. "Well, they may have been Mindless Ones, but they still count"

Constantine nodded, taking another swig of his drink before shrugging. "Maybe we should team up some time. I know a few magical artifacts guarded by dangerous monsters. You could lend a hand" he offered. The red-headed Brit looked at him for a moment before shrugging.

"Sounds fun. I could use an adventure with someone who isn't a Yank for once" she replied.

"Well, as long as you help me taunt Cain. He loves it when I do that" Constantine joked as the two walked off.

Longshadow meanwhile, was very happily catching up with his old Ultimen teammates. They were all laughing at a story that Juice had told them about the Academy as the Navajo teen leaned against the wall behind him. "Man, it's great to see you guys again. What's it like being on the Young Avengers anyway?"

"It's great. They're teaching us a how to work together as a team more. We've come up with some great combos" Wind Dragon grinned. "So what's it like with the Justice League?"

"It's like a dream come true!" Longshadow grinned. "Working with the League is amazing, they're all such great people. Besides, I met someone" he trailed off, before looking over to where Stargirl was currently talking with Sister Grimm and Lightspeed from the Avengers Academy.

"You're dating Stargirl?" Shifter asked in surprise. Before Longshadow could answer, a new voice responded to her question.

"Yes he is. And he and I still need to have a frank discussion about that" Pat Dugan answered, still inside the S.T.R.I.P.E. armour as he towered over the now nervous Longshadow. Pat was Stargirl's stepfather, and while he hesitantly approved of the two dating, he still wanted to have a stern conversation with Longshadow about it.

"Oh, y-yes sir" the teen nodded nervously, before the eponymous Stargirl flew over and grasped her step-father's arm to drag him away from her frightened boyfriend.

"Come on Pat. Let's get you something to drink" she urged, dragging him away as Longshadow sighed in relief, the other Ultimen chuckling at his misfortune.

Elsewhere at the get together, Shazam was busy talking with Spider-Man, Supergirl, and Galatea when Captain Marvel made her way over. "Shazam, good to see you" she greeted as he nodded.

"Yeah, good to see you too Captain"

"I heard you fought well during the Ultron invasion. According to reports you managed to handle Boston by yourself" she said, smirking as she clutched her drink as Shazam blushed faintly at her remark. Before he could sputter an answer however, Spider-Man beat him to the punch.

"Oh did he ever! I've never seen someone move that fast. I don't think even a single building was damaged" the web-slinger bragged as Shazam lightly punched his shoulder.

"Oh? That's quite impressive" Captain Marvel commented as Shazam blinked in surprise.

"Y-you think so?" he asked as Carol nodded.

"Definitely. Keep this up and you'll be one of the greatest heroes" she complimented before walking off. As she did, Shazam's blush only deepened.

"Got a compliment from the Captain eh? That's pretty impressive Billy" Supergirl smirked before noticing her companion falling silent. "Uh… Billy?"

Shazam didn't even hear Supergirl's question. He was too busy watching Captain Marvel as she walked off, his thoughts dazed before a goofy grin came to his face. "I think I'm in love" he said with a small grin as Spider-Man groaned, and Supergirl and Galatea exchanged knowing smirks.

"With my best friend? Great. Better not let Logan find out" the web-head warned. It was true, Logan was part of a powerful trio along with Carol and Peter. They were the strongest of friends and often times drinking buddies. Ergo, they were all rather protective of each other. Especially Logan.

However the room got quiet as soon as the seven founders of the League walked in, closely followed by the four avengers who joined them in the Sahara. Then, behind them came Zatanna and Flint. While Flint's ultimate fate was reported to the others immediately following the defeat of Brainiac, it was still rather heartening for the heroes to see him back.

He gave them all a small nod before Tony Stark walked onto a small stage where the bar counter sat, before he took out a microphone. He tapped it to call everyone's attention before clearing his throat, a glass of Brandy clutched in his hand.

"Hey, glad to have everyone here today. First, I would like to thank everyone present for participating in the fight against the invasion. No one party could have done it on their own, and you are each to be commended" he started as the heroes gave smiles and nods at that.

"Next, I would like to thank the Justice League for coming out here today. You really pulled our fat out of the fire, and while that goes with the first comment I made, you really did work hard and we're sorry that we had to drag you out here to help us." At that a few members of the League chuckled, with Wally making a snide remark under his breath about missing his favourite TV show for this, only to have Hawkgirl slap him upside the head.

"And finally, I would like to raise a toast to Flint Marko. The man who stopped Brainiac, and who saved this world, your world, and potentially all worlds" Tony grinned, as Flint blinked in surprise before blushing at the attention suddenly turned on him. Then, the crowd gave way to loud cheers and applause as Captain America and Thor brought Flint up to where Tony was as he took the microphone from the billionaire.

"Uh… thanks everyone. I just did what any one of us would do really" he said with a small, albeit nervous, chuckle. "I really don't do well with crowds or this sort of attention, but I'll try my best. I would like to apologize for Wizard sneaking that mad computer over here in the first place. There wasn't much any of us could have done to stop him, but I still want to apologize for that"

He took a moment to pause and catch his breath before he continued. "And I would like to thank you for keeping the fight going when I was dead. I mean, that's what any of us would want; for the good fight to continue. And it means a lot to have your support through this" he admitted, nodding as the full weight of the emotion finally dawned on him. It was overwhelming to say the least, having all of these people not only behind him but fighting on for and through him. It was nice to know that there were people who supported him like this. "And uh… I'll thank Herman and Aleksei. You two jackasses are some of the best friends I could ask for. You helped save the world, and you got me to Brainiac in time"

"Any time Flint. Any time" Shocker grinned, raising his glass alongside Rhino.

He grinned, shaking his head with a chuckle before he cleared his throat again. "Alright, enough o' that. One more thank you and then we go back to the party" he said with a smirk. "This last one, goes to the strongest woman I know. She puts up with me through everything, and as I discovered the hard way, she'll be there until the better end; to Zatanna Zatara, strongest sorceress in the world" he said as Zatanna blushed faintly under the praise, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes as Flint stepped towards her, the microphone still in his hand.

"You've been here this long, and I'd like to hope you'll be there in the future" he said before holding out his hand. As he did, the sand shifted aside before revealing, much to Zatanna's surprise, a ring. It was a simple gold band with one diamond in the center. However, the diamond was circled by six smaller blue topaz gemstones. He held the ring gingerly between his thumb and forefinger before getting down on one knee. "Zatanna Zatara, will you marry me?"

Everyone watching was taken by surprise by this sudden turn. Spider-Man for once was speechless, blinking in shock. Shocker and Rhino both simply stared, their mouths hanging open. Arrow smirked, putting an arm around Canary as she examined the ring on her own finger before smiling at her sorceress friend.

Zatanna however, looked at him with a mixture of surprise, love, and hope. After taking a moment for a breath she looked at him, tears starting to fall. "Do you really mean it?" she asked, hoping that she wasn't just imagining it.

"Yeah… I do. Back when we thought this was just a vacation, I was going to wait for the right moment to do it" he admitted. "But, with everything that happened, I wanted to make sure that I don't ever miss my chance to ask"

She stared at him silently for a moment, as Flint looked back nervously. Inwardly he panicked, hoping he hadn't asked too soon or that she wouldn't just turn him down. However, much to his relief, she nodded. Slowly at first, but then it became a little more eager.

"Yes… yes I will" she smiled, the tears spilling out as she suddenly hugged him close. He hugged her back, sighing in relief as the heroes around all cheered for them.

After breaking from the hug, she slid the ring on her finger eagerly, kissing his cheek before she went off to show it to her friends in the League as Vixen, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, and Hawkgirl crowded around her. Flint watched her go with a smile, while Green Arrow and Spider-Man came over to see him.

"Gotta say, I wasn't expecting that" Arrow admitted. "Picked a great time to do it though"

"Although I gotta ask, when exactly did you get that ring?" Spider-Man asked as Flint rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well…"

 _-Flashback-_

'Gotta hurry, need to find a jet…' Flint thought to himself before frowning. 'Need to find somebody to fly a jet'

As he ran however, he passed by a jewellery store that an Ultron drone had broken into. He immediately flung the door open before using a sandy mallet to hit the android into a wall. He followed up by grasping its head before he crushed it, using his sand to fry the interior circuits.

"There… it's okay to come out now" he called, looking to see if there was anyone in the store. Sure enough, after a minute, the clerk slowly appeared from behind the counter. She looked at the crushed remains of the drone on the floor before she sighed in relief.

"Thank you" she said as Flint gave a small smirk.

"No worries. Any idea how bad it is out there? I kinda missed a bit of this" he admitted as she thought for a moment.

"Well, I know that those drones are all over the city. The Avengers have grabbed all available heroes to fight back, but that's all I know" she admitted.

"Alright, so I haven't missed much then" he said before turning to leave. As he did though, he noticed a particular ring sitting behind one of the counters. At first glance, it wasn't anything special, but on a closer inspection he noticed the Blue Topaz stones. Topaz were Zatanna's birthstone, and she mentioned once that she loved Blue Topaz especially.

'That would be the perfect ring to give her' he thought to himself. The clerk seemed to take notice of his stare and gave a thankful smile.

"It's yours" she said simply. Flint looked at her in surprise before opening his mouth to protest. However, she topped him.

"Consider it a thanks for saving my life, and the store" she continued. He frowned, thinking for a moment before nodding.

"Thanks" he said with a sheepish smile as she placed the ring in a box before handing it to him.

"Don't mention it. Besides, if you're going to rejoin the battle, you might want to hurry" she told him before adding with a smile. "I hope whoever you give that ring to loves it"

Flint looked at her for a moment before giving a wistful smile. "Me too"

- _Flashback End-_

"Uh… are you kidding me?" Spider-Man deadpanned as Flint simply shrugged.

"Don't look at me that way. Not like I intended to get the ring right then. Ideally it would have waited until later" Flint defended.

"Yeah, but you still put off saving the world for it" Arrow admonished.

Flint simply glared at him before rolling his eyes. "Still saved the world"

* * *

After the party had ended, most of the heroes had long since left. Flint and Zatanna left to finally have the vacation that they were looking for when they first arrived. The Justice League returned to their own universe, and the other heroes filed out until the only ones left in Avengers Tower were Captain America, Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, Shocker, and Rhino.

Captain America looked at the two former villains, a small frown on his face as he folded his arms. "Are you sure you two don't want to stay? The Thunderbolts program has already taken on new members. They'd be happy to have you" he said, referring to how Blizzard and Speed Demon had since returned to the Thunderbolts, now joined by Hydro-Man and Man-Killer in the wake of Brainiac's failed invasion.

"Thanks, but no thanks" Shocker declined politely. "There's just too much baggage with us here. We want to start over as much as possible. If Flint could do it, so could we" he explained as Rhino nodded in agreement.

Captain America studied them for a moment, before he gave a small smile and nodded. "I understand. Thank you again for your help today, and I wish you two the best of luck in the future" he said, shaking the hands of both men before Reed Richards stepped over.

"Gentleman, the portal is ready for you" he said as Shocker and Rhino grabbed their belongings, which amounted to Shocker having one suitcase and Rhino a surprisingly small duffle bag.

"Open it up Doc" Rhino said with a confident nod before Reed did as asked, activating the portal as the swirling vortex appeared in front of the two. They watched it for a moment, almost entranced before they stepped through.

Seconds later, the two emerged on the main deck of the new Watchtower. They looked around, observing the tower before they caught sight of the planet below. Both suddenly became slack-jawed as they looked out the large glass windows at the Earth.

Unknown to them, they were watched from the point of their arrival by Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Superman smirked a little in amusement at seeing their bewildered expressions towards the sight of the Earth before he walked over. "Gentlemen" he greeted, calling their attention as they turned to look at the Man of Steel.

Superman regarded them as his small smirk quickly grew into a large grin. "Welcome to the Justice League"

* * *

"So, this is it" Zatanna mused as she and Flint entered into their hotel room. As a thank you for their help during the invasion of Brainiac, Tony offered to pay the full cost of their stay at any hotel they wished. Flint wasn't too picky on where they stayed, and Zatanna just wanted a nice view, so they managed to compromise and were now residing in a hotel on the south side of Manhattan. From their window, they had a rather nice view of the New York City skyline and were currently enjoying the sunset as it slowly trailed across the water.

"Yep. This is it" Flint nodded with a smile before falling back on their bed with a sigh of relief.

"What's got you so worn out?" she asked rhetorically, a smirk on her face as she sat on the bed next to him. Flint didn't even budge before he laughed.

"I'm just glad that we can finally have our vacation" he replied, easing into the covers as his thoughts slowly slipped back to the events that had just transpired that day. Everything played so quickly before his eyes but one thing stuck out immediately; Keemia.

He had promised her that she could come and live with him, come and live in the other world. But he hadn't exactly thought it through before he asked. After all, she was still living with her foster family. The court had made sure of that, and now he wasn't sure if there was a way he could get that over-turned.

Zatanna took notice of his now somber expression before frowning as she cupped his cheek gently. "Is something wrong?"

"Just thinking. About Keemia, I mean" he admitted before sitting up and sighing. "I promised her that she could come and live with us. But, I'm not sure if she can or not"

"Because of the court decision?" She asked. Early on when Zatanna first learned of Keemia, Flint was very open about everything regarding the situation. That included the circumstances and decisions that went into Keemia disowning him.

However, Flint's meeting with her earlier suggested that she was more than willing to take him up on his offer, meaning that the decision for Keemia to disown Flint was made for her. That decision was verified in the court and would thus need an appeal to over-rule it. Sure, Keemia could put forward her own decision to go back to her father, but she was still a minor.

"I'm gonna need a damn good lawyer for this" he frowned before standing up and looking out the window. He leaned against the glass before squinting, as something caught his eye. It was a billboard, and the face was unmistakeable.

Flint was wondering why he hadn't yet thought of this.

* * *

"Thanks for everything Jen. You are a damn miracle worker" Flint said with a small smile as he looked at the towering form of Jennifer Walters, alias She-Hulk.

The cousin of Bruce Banner gave her own grin as she put away some papers into her briefcase. "Hey, how could I not help you out here? You saved our asses, it was the least I could do"

"Is everyone going to call back to that?" he asked with a groan before she punched him on the shoulder playfully.

"Probably. But only for a bit; everyone gets their own second to save the world" she shrugged before Zatanna walked in with the last of Keemia's bags.

"This should be everything. And I think I saw the car pull up as I was walking in. So it won't be too long before we leave" the sorceress smiled. In order to minimize the risk of the portal's technology falling into the wrong hands, it was decided that it would permanently reside at the Baxter Building under the watchful eye of Reed Richards and the rest of the Fantastic Four.

As such, that was where Flint and Zatanna were waiting for Keemia right now. They had gathered her belongings from her foster parents' house, and were just waiting as she finished saying goodbye to her friends.

"So, what did you think of my home world?" Flint asked, his arms folded as he smirked down at Zatanna. She seemed to think for a moment before shrugging and smirking back at him.

"It's okay. Evil invading robots notwithstanding" she laughed before She-Hulk stepped over.

"Well I'll take my leave now. See you later Flint" she greeted before shaking his hand and walking to the door.

"Later Jen. And thanks again!" he called.

"Anytime" she responded before stepping out the door. As she did, she passed by Keemia, who looked around the lab with interest before seeing her father and immediately running over to hug him.

"It's good to see you too kiddo" he smiled, hugging her back before she looked over at Zatanna. "Oh, Keemia this is Zatanna Zatara, sorceress extraordinaire… and my fiancé. Zatanna, this is Keemia" he introduced as Keemia broke the hug to greet Zatanna.

"It's nice to finally meet you in person. Flint says nothing but good things about you" Zatanna greets as Flint gave them a moment to meet each other alone.

"Really…?" Keemia asked, looking to her had hopefully.

"Yes. He doesn't blame you for anything" she smiled. "Besides, he thinks the world of you" she said before immediately grasping her hands again and grinning. "Oh my god, Flint she has the spark of a mage!"

"A mage? You mean you can teach her magic?" he asks in surprise.

"Oh you bet. I'll teach her everything I know!" Zatanna said eagerly as Keemia suddenly grinned.

"You mean I have powers?"

"Oh yeah. With a little training, you could make a great hero someday" she nodded as Flint picked the bags up.

"Hey, this is really exciting and everything, but I think it's time we head home" Flint laughed as Zatanna nodded, blushing at her sudden eagerness.

"R-right. This can wait until later" she stammered before smiling eagerly again. "But it's still amazing" she said before Reed opened the portal. Zatanna took her own bags before stepping on ahead. Flint was about to follow her before Keemia pulled him back.

"So you're gonna marry her?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, I am" he nodded, unsure of where this was going.

Keemia stared him down for a moment before suddenly grinning. "She's awesome" she laughed before running through the portal. Flint stared after her before chuckling.

"Yeah, she sure is" he nodded before walking back through to his new home, and to the new life ahead of them.

* * *

 **And there you have it. The "Homecoming" arc is complete. Now it might be a few days before the next arc begins, but have no fear. Next chapter, the rise of the Legion of Doom!**

 **As always be sure to read and review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and stay tuned for more!**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	27. I am Legion

**I'm back everybody! Time for the Society arc to being.**

 **Or rather, the Legion of Doom arc. I love the name "Legion of Doom so much better honestly. It's too campy to hate it. On that note, this arc also marks the beginning of the end of this fic. Not long to go until it's done. But it's gonna be a fun race to the finish.**

 **Well, first things first as always, time to answer some reviews:**

 **JJChandler: Duly noted.**

 **cabrera1234: Honestly no. Only because I love the John x Shayera ship too much for that.**

 **Lucian Naruto: Not like she knows. Besides, it's Billy's one sided crush. I;m sure that won;t backfire on him in any way... or in the sequel...**

 **Awesome Due: Well, Galatea will.**

 **Cajun Strong Man 2: Hm... perhaps.**

 **Dion ComicWiz: As always, great to hear from you man. The positive response to this little original arc of mine is always great to hear as well. I'm glad to know that you enjoyed it. For the JSA idea, I can easily squeeze an episode from that. In fact, I just might since I love the Shade. As for Harley, she might have a bit of a turn to the good guy side... eventually.**

 **Each and every review is always appreciated, so be sure to leave one after reading. It's nice to hear your thoughts and ideas. It also helps me to determine whether or not I should write an Injustice story (so far it looks like a yes)**

 **anyway, disclaimer; I don't own anything here. Sandamn and all related characters belong to Marvel and Disney. The Justice League, Legion of Doom (*thunder-crashes in the distance*), and all related characters are owned by DC comics and Warner Bros. Please support the official releases.**

 **And begin!**

* * *

As time moves on, many things change. Indeed, in the wake of Flint's return to the world of the Justice League quite a few things changed for everyone.

Shocker and Rhino were absolutely overjoyed to have their fresh start, and were quite readily taking to their new jobs as heroes rather seriously. Despite being extended the offers to have their own cities to look after, the two preferred to work together as a team, and ultimately became the new heroes for Detroit joining the other resident heroes, Gypsy and Vibe.

Gypsy in particular was becoming rather close to Rhino, as both of them having Eastern European heritage proved to help them get rather close over the past few months. Although, if anyone asked both wold deny that there was anything going on between them (The only person who knew for sure was Shocker, and he was rather smug about how tight-lipped he was).

The League itself had recently seen a resurgence in public approval as well. Thanks to the construction of the new Metro Tower in Washington, it helped to alleviate any worries over the League being detached from the world below. The Metro Tower had become their secondary base of operations on the ground, while also allowing for easier access to the League in case it was required.

However, some things as it turned out, never change. Case and point, Flint was once again hosting a poker night at his house. Herman and Aleksei were the new additions to the game, joining Oliver, Wally, and John for the usual affair of cards and beer.

"Now, you're sure you got the house to yourself for the night?" Wally asked as Flint nodded.

"Yep. Z has a mission in Markovia and Keemia is spending the night at a friend's house"

"That reminds me, how is she adjusting to the move?" John asked, shuffling the cards before dealing them out.

"She's been doin' real good actually. She likes the new school fine, and she's already got some good friends" He smiled. "Z's been teaching her magic on the side too. Let me tell you, she's been over the moon for these lessons"

"Keemia likes being able to do magic that much?" John asked with a laugh.

"I was talkin' about Z" Flint dead panned before Herman rolled his eyes.

"We ready to play or what? I'm itchin' to win already" the former con smirked before the others finally picked up their hands and started tossing chips in.

"So Ollie, how's the married life treating you?" Flint asked the archer. In the months since his return, Oliver and Dinah finally brought their long-lasting engagement to a close with a lavish ceremony in Star City.

"Fantastic. Not like much has changed though. Dinah moved in months ago, and we were already used to seeing each other every day" the archer shrugged, before taking a swig of his drink. "But, I feel accomplished, like we just crossed a milestone"

"That reminds me" Herman started before smirking at Flint. "You and Z have been engaged for months, how long until you finally tie the knot?"

Flint groaned at that before levelling a tired glare at his friends who now all bore the same matching smirks. It was true, after his proposal to her the previous summer, the entire League had been waiting on baited breath for when he and Zatanna would finally have their wedding. In the wake of Oliver and Dinah tying the knot, the speculation and questions over this had only increased.

As had the good-natured teasing.

"We're working on it" Flint said, for what felt like the near millionth time. Every time when he was asked this, his response was always the same.

After some chuckling, John finally raised a hand to quiet them. "Alright boys, he's had enough. Let's get to the game already" he said as the gathered heroes finally started on their long anticipated game. However, they were soon interrupted by a call from Superman.

Flint looked at the communicator curiously before answering it, putting it on speaker so they all could hear.

"Hey Clark, you caught us in the middle of Poker Night" he started, before tossing some chips in the betting pool. "If you hurry you can join the game"

"Sorry Flint, but there's no time for that now. Something urgent has come up" the Kryptonian answered, the tone of his voice betraying to the others the severity of the situation.

"What's the situation?" Flint asked, the others having now ignored their game to listen to the news.

Superman took a moment to collect himself before finally answering.

"Luthor's escaped"

* * *

"I know! I'm going as fast as I can!" Luthor ranted, looking frantically between the road in front of him and the empty passenger seat of the armoured truck he had stolen, several police squad cars hot on his tail.

Luthor was just that morning being moved from his current prison, with the intention of giving him a new permanent residence within the walls of Belle Revve, where Waller could keep a close eye on him personally. However, thanks to some rather lax security during the initial transport, he was able to hijack the truck intended to carry him before speeding off.

His driving however was rather frantic, multiple times in fact he rammed police cars off the road as he swerved with each turn, narrowly dodging other cars and various other obstacles. Finally, he cut it too close, and finally collided with a road sign, causing his stolen truck to swerve off the road and start rolling. It finally came to a rest upside-down as Luthor staggered out of the wreck, limping as fast as he could into a nearby alleyway, in spite of the chains that kept his feet bound together.

A group of police officers and SWAT agents stormed the alley after him, guns at the ready as they found the escaped genius staring up the wall of the dead end in front of him. Luthor cursed inwardly as a federal agent with a thin mustache stepped forward, drawing his pistol.

"Luthor!" the agent yelled, calling his attention. "Don't make any sudden moves. It's over" The agents surrounding the man took the safeties off of their guns, with two walking forward, new restraints at the ready to recapture the villain.

Lex watched the advancing agents, and the numerous weapons levelled at him before giving a sigh of defeat and raising his arms above his head. The officers opened the cuffs, about to restrain him before a black portal appeared in the wall behind him. A pair of arms reached out of the hole before pulling him in as the portal closed.

Despite their best efforts, Luthor had escaped.

* * *

Luthor's eyes remained firmly shut before he finally opened them, confused at the lack of metal cuffs around his arms. Instead, he saw himself sitting on a hover bike as it sped quickly through a swamp. He blinked in surprise before finally taking notice of his mysterious saviour. In an orange and brown jumpsuit, piloting the bike in front of him was The Key, a villain frequently fought by the Justice League. And Batman in particular.

That fact caused Luthor to frown. He had never worked with The Key, hell he never even gave the man a second thought. He was nothing but a run of the mill rogue as far as Luthor was concerned. So why had he rescued him? Clearly there was some other reason for it. Perhaps The Key required a favour from him? But if that were the case, why were they out in the middle of a swamp.

Finally, the bike slowed to a stop, before The Key stepped off. Luthor looked up and raised an eyebrow. In front of them was nothing but an empty clearing where the trees hadn't grown in. The Key then proceeded to walk forward a few feet before turning back to Luthor and holding his arms wide.

"Here we are Mr. Luthor; our benefactor is looking forward to meeting you" he introduced as Luthor nodded. That made more sense, that The Key was simply tasked with bringing him to this mystery benefactor.

"Does the mystery man have a name?" Lex inquired skeptically, folding his arms.

"No reason to be insulting Lex…" a new voice said. Luthor turned to see the smug and confident face of Gorilla Grodd appear out of the trees and walk towards him. "I'm far superior to any man"

Inwardly, Luthor sighed as his eyes narrowed. "Grodd. I appreciate the help, but gratitude only goes so far. I'm not interested in working with you… or anyone else for that matter"

Grodd however, didn't seem troubled by this. If anything, his smirk became even more confident. "I think you'll change your mind once you've seen what we have to offer" he said before raising a remote and pressing a button on it, before tuning to direct Luthor's attention to the empty clearing.

As they turned, a building slowly faded into view in the centre of the clearing, as a cloaking device slowly deactivated. The base was black, with red lines running all along it, its shape appearing to be similar to a human skull. At the centre near the front, a door opened as a platform lowered so they could walk inside. On the other side of the door, a large crowd consisting of dozens of villains stood there, watching Luthor and Grodd expectantly.

* * *

When the news of Lex Luthor having escaped custody first reached the Justice League, only two thoughts came to their minds. First, they were all wondering exactly how the billionaire had done it. Second, they were all shaking with dread at the thought of what Clarks' reaction to his arch-enemy's escape would be. Thankfully, Superman was more reserved (although Flint still noticed him gripping anything he picked up a little tighter than usual), and as such the team was put a little more at ease as they vegan their investigations.

Standing in the alleyway that Luthor had miraculously disappeared from, Superman had brought Flint, Shayera, and Aztek to help him search for any clues. While Superman used his x-ray vision and Aztek scanned the alley with his mystical armour, Flint was analysing the dirt left behind to see if there was any notable change in the composition that might lead to any concrete conclusion as to where Lex had escaped to.

Shayera was, in turn, speaking to the federal agents on duty about the transfer that Luthor had undergone that morning, and how he managed to evade capture again. Needless to say, the news that his security had been rather lax more than angered the Thanagarian.

"Why would you even try to move a prisoner that dangerous without calling us first?" she demanded as the agent simply rolled his eyes.

"Maybe because we thought we could do our jobs without the help of the mighty Justice League" he sneered only for Shayera to grip her mace tighter and level a glare that sent shivers down the man's spine.

"And yet, here we are"

The agent managed to compose himself enough to walk away from the confrontation he would inevitably lose as Superman walked over to her.

"Okay Shayera, what's done is done"

"I like a good brawl as much as the next guy, but we fought hard enough to get their trust back the first time" Flint chimed in, standing up. "Might not be a good idea to test how far that trust goes now"

Shayera only huffed in disappointment. "Fine. Aztek, what have you got?"

The armoured hero continued to analyse the wall that Luthor was pulled through before cupping his chin in thought as the instruments in his suit gave him the results of their scans. "The wall's sub-molecular integrity has been compromised" he surmised.

"Leptons showing weak-force interaction?" Shayera questioned.

"Yeah" Aztek nodded in surprise. "How did you know?"

"It's a common signature of matter-phasing technology" Superman clarified before casting a hopeful glance to Shayera. "I assume it doesn't leave a trail?"

To his disappointment, she only shook her head. "No such luck"

"Maybe we should run through the villain directory back at the Watchtower, just in case Luthor got this tech second hand" Flint suggested. "Hell, he might have even had help from the outside with this"

"Any ideas of people who could make that technology?" someone asked, suddenly calling the attention of the Leaguers present. Approaching them from the alley's entrance was a ban in a grey business suit, mid-thirties with snow white hair and a tired smile. He stopped in front of them before folding his arms. "You guys want some coffee? Apparently I got nothing better to do here" he joked as Flint smirked.

"You got espresso?" Flint retorted as the agent gave his own laugh.

Superman meanwhile gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, we got caught up in the work" he apologized, rubbing the back of his head.

The agent only nodded before holding his hand out to Flint to shake it. "Special Agent King Faraday. I'm the new liaison between the Attorney General's office and the Justice League"

"I assume you've been briefed on us then?" Flint asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep, but only what's a need to know basis. Mostly powers and cities of residence" he clarified, putting some of their fears to rest. After a moment, Faraday then got to the business at hand. "Security on Luthor's transfer was lax because it didn't seem necessary"

"Why wouldn't it be necessary? He almost destroyed the planet last year" Flint scoffed.

"That's true enough, but the man was being unusually quiet. He wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary and every day we had seen him in that prison he seems almost… downplayed" Faraday continued before another agent chimed in.

"He was a broken man. He just sat in his cell, talking to himself"

"When he's not stealing police vans you mean?" Shayera asked with a smirk, trying to goad a reaction from the agent.

"That came out of nowhere! We had no reason to think he was an active threat!" the agent defended, before Faraday held up a hand to call him off.

"Do what you can. Put out an APB, stake out airports, trains, and bus stations" Faraday asked before the agent gave a small sigh.

"Already done… for what it's worth" he said.

"If he's sighted, don't approach him. Call in the League" Faraday pressed as the agent looked at him in disbelief.

"My people can handle this!" he insisted in an offended tone.

"No they can't" Faraday retorted before shaking his head. He placed a hand on the man's shoulder before offering an apologetic smile. "Your people are good… but Luthor is better" he said, finally quelling the agent's anger as he walked off, before turning back to Superman. "And if you get a lead, I expect to be kept in the loop"

"Of course" the man of steel nodded before walking off with the rest of the League. However, Flint was stopped by Faraday for one last question.

"Do you know of any villains off hand who could potentially have the technology to pull that off?" he asked as Flint thought for a moment.

"There are a few. The Shade, or maybe even The Key could. Not sure why Luthor would want to work with either of them though. Again, implying he isn't working alone" Flint mused.

"Well, I'll see if I can dig up anything on their current whereabouts" Faraday shrugged. "Thanks anyway"

"Anytime" Flint nodded before rejoining the other Leaguers.

* * *

"What is this?" Luthor asked curiously, looking around as Grodd led him down the hallway of the base. He had to admit, seeing all of these villains gathered together in one place was rather disconcerting. 'Clearly these idiots aren't aware of the danger being together in such a number poses. The League will take notice soon enough' he inwardly sneered before shaking his head.

Grodd seemed to notice the frown on Luthor's face and simply shrugged. "A home away from home for members of this organization" he answered as they passed a laboratory where several villains were comparing and repairing technology. "I'll admit, we're putting on something of a show for your benefit. We rarely have so many members here at once"

Luthor chuckled at that, believing he finally uncovered Grodd's true intention. Grodd had paid all of these villains to be here, hoping to entice Luthor's willingness to assist him in whatever endeavour he had.

"Yes… it _would_ take a hug scam to pay for all these people" the billionaire drawled. Grodd, to Luthor's surprise, chuckled rather heartily at the implication as they entered a much larger room down the hall. "Actually it's the other way around. They pay me" the ape clarified as he gestured to the group of criminals in the room. "The world's most powerful supervillains, banded together with one common goal"

At seeing them all gathered together, Luthor nodded in understanding. "They protect each other from the Justice League"

"It's the only way to survive in the modern world" Grodd shrugged. "There are so many heroes now, and under the Martian they're too organized for free-thinkers like ourselves to make a dishonest buck"

"You're running a protection racket?" Luthor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A co-op" Grodd corrected, before sitting in a chair at the head of a long table, turning to look at Luthor. "Everyone's free to go about their business. But, if say, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash show up to foil your bank robbery, you no longer have to face them alone"

"Right, he does it out of the goodness of his heart" Luthor drawled sarcastically.

"Well, that and twenty-five percent of the gross" he smirked. "So far it's working perfectly. The League doesn't even know we exist"

Luthor seemed satisfied with the answer before folding his arms with a nod. "I have to hand it to you. This is an impressive operation, but we're still not interested"

At hearing Luthor say "we", Grodd could only stare at Luthor in mild confusion before the billionaire in question turned to leave the room. Grodd stood, placing a paw in Luthor's shoulder to stop him. "See now, that's a problem. You're much too powerful a player to be out there as a freelancer"

"Don't worry about the competition" Luthor sneered before shaking off Grodd's hand. "I'm out of the business"

"Really? Then why bother to escape?" Grodd asked skeptically before leaning closer to Luthor. "Oh, you've still got the spark Luthor, I can see it. The spark of a man who can't be bound by society's petty restrictions. Besides, nobody who plays the game at out level ever really quits"

"Oh, you've got that right" Luthor said, rolling his eyes before suddenly looking off to the side. "Completely missing the point" he barked at the seemingly empty space.

"Luthor?" Grodd questioned. The ape wasn't the only villain to be confused by Luthor's sudden and indirect outburst. Several of them watched the escaped genius with worry and confusion, before Luthor finally took notice of Grodd's confused stare.

"You think you understand me?" he sneered. "That you actually have anything to offer? For a brief moment, I attained absolute knowledge, godhood! Now, it's all gone" he said ruefully.

Grodd nodded in understanding before reaching into a pouch on the belt he had fastened securely around his waist. "You melded with the computer-being Brainiac, and at your moment of triumph, the Flash alongside the Sandman destroyed him. Tragic. Now, there isn't a single piece of him left anywhere on Earth… except of course, for this one" Grodd revealed before opening the palm of his hand. In it lay a piece of metal, smaller than a cell phone. However, the three circles that were the symbol for Brainiac were clear as day to the now desperate Luthor.

"Give it to me!" Luthor demanded, reaching for the hunk of metal before Grodd pulled his hand back.

"Salvation comes at a price Lex. First you do something for me…" Grodd said with a smirk. "Then you get your precious rock"

" _Do whatever he asks_ " the unmistakeable voice of Brainiac said as Luthor turned to the side. Standing there beside him was the Kryptonian android, a figment of Luthor's own deranged imagination. But to the billionaire it was all too real. " _My entire program resides in even the smallest part of me_ " Brainiac reminded him.

"I could reconstitute you… bring you back to life!" Luthor said to the empty space, drawing a number of confused glances from the other villains again.

" _Yes. We could be together again_ "

Luthor thought over his options, before giving a deep sigh. When he opened his eyes, he turned to the confused gorilla with a reluctant grimace on his face.

"Alright Grodd, I'm in" Luthor relented before the ape smirked.

"Excellent. Welcome Mr. Luthor, to the Legion of Doom"

* * *

"Aztek didn't find anything else Fire?" Superman asked over the video screen, as the green haired Brazilian woman shook her head with a frown.

"Sorry Superman, it was a bad lead" she admitted. After investigating the alley, Aztek had gone on ahead to pursue one lead while Superman had gone to the prison Lex was held to search for his own clues. Fire and her friend Ice, a cryokinetic Norwegian woman, were kept up to date on Aztek's findings just in case Superman asked.

The man of steel sighed before looking back at her. "Nobody's fault. When you pick up Luthor's trail, call me. I want in" he finished before hanging up.

Across the room from where Fire had finished her conversation with Superman, Shayera was sitting at monitor duty. She was currently in a conversation with Flint, while Flash sat nearby. "You said we could use one of the spare monitors for anything right?"

"Yep. Flash showed me how to tune it to any channel in the world" he grinned. "I use it to watch on demand cable"

"Huh. Hey Flash, what's the access code to the free monitor?" she asked the speedster, only to receive no response. "Flash?"

Flint turned to his friend before nudging his shoulder, barely eliciting a reaction from him. "Hm?" Flash said intelligently, keeping his attention focused squarely on Fire, a goofy grin on his face.

Flint followed Flash's line of sight before immediately smirking. "And Ollie owes me ten bucks" he laughed as Shayera caught on.

"Why don't you just go talk to her?" she asked as Flash suddenly looked up at her shaking his head vigorously.

"Who me? Talk to her? No way"

"What? Wally you're the biggest flirt here, how can you not talk to her?" Flint scoffed. It was true, Wally had a habit of flirting with any woman he met. However, seeing him go brain-dead at the sight of Fire was more than a little odd.

"I don't know Flint, he could be wasting his time. I hear she's, you know…" Shayera smirked as Flash looked from her, then to Fire who was currently laughing at something Ice said before placing a hand on her shoulder. Flash quickly turned back to Shayera in worry as she smirked wider. "Brazilian"

"Ha ha" Flash said sarcastically as Flint snickered to himself.

"If you're afraid to talk to her, I'll tell her for you" she said before standing up and starting to walk over to their Brazilian team mate before Flash quickly dashed in her way.

"No, don't" he pleaded.

"You've got to be kidding" Flint groaned, folding his face in his hands. Before Flash could make a rebuttal though, the monitor behind them suddenly blared to life, indicating that someone was making a video call to them. Shayera turned first before answering. The screen then opened the video channel, showing the face of Agent Faraday.

"Got something for you" the Agent said, not wasting a minute. "Tell Hawkgirl your story Mr. Siriani"

"We met a while ago ma'am" an older voice, now attributed to Mr. Siriani, greeted. "Longer for me than for you. When you travelled through time to World War II, you fought alongside my squadron"

"You're one of the Blackhawks!" she surmised as Flint now looked at the screen in surprise. He had read the older files about the time the League travelled back to World War II to stop the immortal conqueror Vandal Savage. During that time, the League had given a hand to the Blackhawk squadron, a group of experienced pilots that fought alongside the Allied forces.

"The only one still kicking I'm sorry to say" Siriani chuckled sadly.

"What's the problem?" Flash asked, now stepping forward.

"During the war, and for decades after, we captured a lot of weapons. Some real sci-fi stuff; we hid the worst of it on Blackhawk Island" he began before frowning. "We decommissioned the place over thirty years ago, but this morning the old security alarm went off. It could be nothing…"

"Or it could be someone raiding your armoury" Shayera finished before nodding. "We'll take a look. Shayera out" she finished before hanging up and turning to Flint and Flash. "You want someone else to come with us?"

Before Flash could say otherwise, Flint cut him off. "Hey Fire! We got a mission, let's go!" he called to the woman who immediately nodded and ran over to the Javelin bay ahead of them. As Flint set off, he ignored Flash's glare that was being levelled his way.

* * *

'This… This is just sad' Flint inwardly groaned as he looked back from his seat in the Javelin. He expected, having brought Fire on this mission alongside Flash that it would at least get him to talk to her. If anything some small talk to break the ice would alleviate most of the tension. Instead, all he got were two metahumans giving each other nervous glances when the other wasn't looking. It was like watching junior high students suffering through their first crush. Granted, Flash acted like a twelve year old at times, but still.

After what seemed like a painful eternity (but was in reality just two minutes of silence), Fire was the first to bite the bullet as she stood up and walked over to where Flash was seated. The speedster caught the movement and turned to face her, only instead of meeting Fire face to face, he was now eye level with her chest, something that brought a flush of scarlet to his cheeks.

"You've been so quiet" Fire started, finally calling Flash's attention up to her as she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You haven't said a single word since we left. I was hoping that we could use this trip to get to know each other better"

Flash remained silent, staring dumbly at her as Fire took an involuntary step backwards. "I understand, you're focused on the mission. No time for women, right?"

At this, Flint groaned and face palmed. While he was thankful for Fire being the first to get over their nervousness, Flash's response was less than encouraging. Fire was practically holding up a sign that said 'Date me', and Wally couldn't even begin to form a coherent sentence, or even attempt to. It was in a word… sad.

Thankfully he wasn't the only one to feel this way, as Shayera had been watching the two from the corner of her eye, her own frustration with them growing. Then she came up with an idea, smirking to herself before suddenly banking to the left. The result was instantaneous, and exactly what she wanted as Fire stumbled forward before falling into Flash's lap. Flint smirked to himself as the two heroes shot Shayera suspicious glares.

"Sorry, got some bad turbulence" Shayera smirked wider before seeing an alert come over the Javelin's radar. "Three bogeys closing fast!" she said as Flint looked out the window to get a visual.

"Huh, well there's somethin' you don't see everyday" he dead panned as the others looked out to see three robotic condors closing fast as one latched on to the roof of the Javelin, tearing it off with its talons. The other condors swiftly attacked the engines as Shayera tried to activate the emergency eject. However, it was damaged in the attack.

"Ejector pods are offline! Looks like we have to do this the hard way!" she yelled before Fire activated her powers, becoming covered in emerald fire. Wally took a hold of her arm while Flint simply looked out ahead to the island in the distance.

"I'll try and make it to the island and scout out for help" he said before the heroes quickly piled out the top of the Javelin. Flint looked at the ocean far below before taking a breath to collect himself. 'Okay, you can do this Flint. You can do this!" he thought before jumping off in time as the Javelin exploded while the others took to the air. He fell quickly, a grimace of regret on his face. "Crap crap crap crap **CRAP**!"

Back with the other heroes, Shayera swiftly decapitated one of the condors before moving to engage the second one. However, the other remaining condor took this opportunity to gang up on the Thanagarian. Flash took notice before looking at Fire, who while she could still keep the condors at bay with her flames, was rather useless while she still held onto him. Thankfully, help arrived in the form of an old fighter jet, which quickly peppered one of the condors with bullets, leaving the robot sparking and smoking. Flash knew immediately what was gonna happen next.

"That thing's gonna blow! You need both hands to help Shayera, drop me!" he said seriously as she looked at him in disbelief. Flash however, gave her a reassuring smile and a wink. She smiled back, nodding before reluctantly dropping him. Flash watched the rapidly approaching ground before frowning. "I sure hope I think of something before I hit the ground"

Fire, now with both hands free, immediately flew back to Shayera as both women quickly made short work of the remaining condors. As the women took the opportunity to catch their breath, Hawkgirl suddenly looked at Fire in shock. "Where's Wally?"

* * *

"He told you to _DROP HIM?!_ " Shayera screeched in anger as Fire looked away and Flint only shook his head. As the women arrived on the island, they met up with Flint who had arrived shortly before them and was watching the rest of the dogfight from the ground. That meant he also saw when Fire dropped Flash.

"He's a senior member of the team!" Fire defended herself, clearly already feeling bad enough about dropping him.

"Well how did you expect him to make it to the ground in one piece?" Shayera demanded before Flint looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Probably like that" he said as the two followed his line of sight.

"Hey guys!" Flash called with a grin, moving his arms at incredible speeds to generate two tornadoes which levitated him safely above the ground. "Check me out! I'm just like a helicopter!" he laughed before quickly realising he couldn't control himself that well and fell to the ground, crashing through Flint's sand, leaving only his legs intact. "Okay, I'm only sort of like a helicopter"

The sand quickly took Flint's form again as Sandman shook his head. "We'll work on it later" he smirked before helping Flash up. However, Shayera quickly shoved Flint aside before grasping Flash's collar roughly.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" She yelled with a glare before shoving him aside and storming off, cursing under her breath.

Flash stumbled a bit before Fire caught him, a worried expression on her face. He gave her a small smile before standing up straight. "Ah, don't worry about her. She loves me. She's like the big sister I never had only, y'know, short"

"Come on, let's move" Flint urged them before they started on down the trail after their teammate. However, before the four of them could even reach the edge of the jungle, and elderly man stepped out from the trees, approaching them with a nod as he extended a hand to Shayera.

"Chuck Siriani, We spoke over the phone" he greeted, shaking her hand. "You're welcome for the save by the way"

"Damn, still kickin' ass even at your age" Flint smirked as Shayera nodded before releasing his hand.

"Thanks for your help, but why are you here?"

"I know everything there is to know about this island. You're going to need my help" Shuck explained simply.

Flash shook his head in response. "We've got it covered. And, no offense, but you're a little old for this kind of work"

"Something's activated the island's defenses. If you want to make it out of here alive, I'm coming with you" Chuck pressed. At his explanation, the heroes agreed before they allowed Chuck to lead the way into the jungle. "Whoever else is on the island will be headed for Primary Control. That's in a bunker beneath the Blackhawk Victory Museum"

"Where you store the weapons you captured?" Shayera guessed.

"Yeah, there's some serious ordinance in there. Even got a couple of old war wheels" Chuck continued, referencing the hundred-foot wheels that the upgraded Nazis were able to build thanks to Vandal Savage's interference. They were heavily armoured and incredibly destructive, easily more than a match even for some of today's weapons.

"Wait a second, I thought all those serious weapons were destroyed in the war" Fire said, as Chuck gave her a small grin.

"Don't believe everything you see on the documentary channel sweetheart" the elderly pilot said.

"War-wheels, robot condors. You got a pretty goofy security system here" Flash mused as Chuck gave a laugh.

"Yeah, good times"

"Wait, I see something!" Shayera interrupted before landing in a tree just in front of them. The others were immediately on guard, before catching sight of the beach. Slowly being caught in the surf of the beach were the remains of a very thoroughly destroyed robot.

"Somebody ain't impressed with the security" Chuck frowned as Flint shook his head. The robot was clearly big, evidenced by the size of its remains. It had to be twenty-feet tall at least. Whoever was here had some serious fire power with them.

Suddenly, the whirring of a camera caught the attention of Fire as she turned to see a security camera carefully tracking the heroes and the former Blackhawk. She cast a small glare before destroying it with a small stream of emerald fire.

* * *

Across the island in a monitor room, The Key saw the group of assembled heroes and the elderly man who guided them before the Brazilian woman known as Fire destroyed the camera. He frowned before turning to his compatriots; Luthor and Doctor Polaris.

"We have to hurry" Key urged Luthor, who was currently working on some mechanical components. Luthor, however, simply shrugged before moving to the keyboard and hitting a few buttons of the security system.

"That should keep them occupied" he said before returning to his work, completely unfazed by the presence of the heroes.

* * *

Suddenly, the water behind the heroes bubbled before a swarm of robot sharks flew out of the water, with machine guns firing bullets from their eyes. Flash grabbed Chuck and quickly moved to get the old man to safety, while Chuck used his pistol to swiftly dispatch a shark that was chasing them, shooting it through the eye as it crashed to the ground.

"Really? Machine guns? You missed an opportunity to have sharks with fricken' laser beams attached to their heads" Flint joked before plunging his arms into the sand of the beach. In a second he collected the swarm in a massive column before swiftly crushing them and dropping their remains into the sand below.

Flash stopped and let Chuck back down as the older man chuckled. "Those would have been the next model we produced" he joked, before a smaller and automated war-wheel suddenly tore through the foliage towards them. Flash pushed Chuck aside safely before speeding off, drawing the war-wheel away.

Shayera immediately took off after Flash, with Flint about to join her before hearing Fire scream. He turned to see the pyrotechnic heroine caught in the grasp of a giant robotic squid.

"You got a Kraken too?" he scoffed before turning to Flash. "Flash, give Fire a hand here!"

The speedster nodded before he rushed over, running in a circle rapidly around the squid, until he created a tornado that sucked up the water directly around it. Flint wasted no time before using the sand to get up to where Fire was still being held captive. He released her to Flash who ran her back to shore before he joined them. The tornado then picked up the squid before moving to shore and colliding head on with the war-wheel.

The result was instantaneous as both machines promptly exploded while the heroes moved in to examine the wreckage.

"Thanks for the help" Fire said to Flash, a soft smile on her face as he grinned, a light blush dusting his face.

"If that's the last of them, we might want to move. No telling what else they'll send after us" Flint said as Chuck nodded.

"He's right. There's a lot of dangerous machines on this island. We don't want to run into any more of them if we can help it" he said before leading the group onward.

* * *

"You're the human lock-pick, why aren't you doing this?" Luthor demanded as he struggled to crack the code to a vault on the far side of the room. The Key, simply glared in response before smirking smugly.

"Grodd's not testing me" he retorted. However, before any further comment could be made, the door behind them suddenly exploded inward in a burst of emerald fire. The Leaguers rushed into the room, before stopping and looking on in shock at the form of Luthor. Their surprise was short lived as Chuck stepped forward, a less than pleased look on his face.

"Whoever you guys are, you've got no business being here"

"Kinda goes with the territory" Doctor Polaris sneered, before stepping forward. "We're thieves"

Shayera ignored him before looking at Luthor and gripping her mace dangerously. "Are we gonna do this the hard way Lex? Please say yes"

"You're threatening us with a metal weapon?" Polaris chuckled. "I'm a ferrokinetic, or haven't you heard?" he smirked before raising his hand, a blue wave of energy suddenly surrounding it and the mace. Then, he swung his hand around, causing the mace to fly wildly, and dragging Shayera with it. Flash moved to help her before The Key struck him with a blast of energy, knocking him away.

"You've got problems of your own" the rogue said before suddenly caching notice of Flint turning his body into crystalline glass.

"Right back at you ugly" Flint smirked before The Key fired a blast of energy at him as well. However, Flint was counting on it and used his glass to reflect the energy back at The Key with twice the power. The villain was caught by surprise and blasted back into a wall next to the vault where he was promptly knocked out.

Flint turned back to his normal form as Flash got back up. "Nice move there" Flash commented, however before Flint could reply, Shayera's mace flew through his chest, blasting sand everywhere and leaving a hole in this body.

"Still got me to deal with!" Doctor Polaris declared as Flint rolled his eyes.

"Now that was just rude" he said. However, Fire immediately stepped forward before firing a massive burst of flames at the ferrokinetic villain. In accordance to basic laws of science, the magnetic abilities of the villain began to dissipate with the heat as Polaris fell to the ground panting. Shayera took this opportunity to retrieve her mace before striking the villain over the head and knocking him out as well.

"Mine" she declared.

"Get them on their feet" Luthor suddenly declared, a gun clutched in his hand aimed at Chuck's head. He took advantage of the heroes' distraction to grab the elderly pilot and use him as a hostage. "They're pathetic, but they're with me"

"I'm sorry" Chuck groaned. "If I were twenty years younger…"

"You'd still be ancient" Luthor snapped before dragging Chuck to a console as he typed a command in the computer. On the main screen, a self-destruct sequence appeared before starting to count back from three minutes. Polaris stood back up, slinging The Key over his shoulder before moving out with Luthor. However, the escaped billionaire looked back at the heroes.

"Chew on that for a while. If you follow us, you know what happens to the old man" he said before making his escape with the other villains. The Key had since woken up and started walking as the three crossed over an old bridge with Chuck in tow. Chuck recognized one piece of the bridge in particular before stepping on it, as a sudden rumbling was heard.

"What did you do?" Luthor demanded before dozens of robotic fish suddenly leapt out of the water around the villains' heads and exploded with the force of a small firecracker. It didn't cause any lasting damage, but it gave Chuck the chance to make his escape as he ran back to the bunker. The Key drew a bead on him before Luthor stopped him.

"Let him go. We got what we came for" he said before gesturing to a tube slung over his shoulder. At that the three villains hurried off to report their success to Grodd.

* * *

Chuck made it back on the bunker, with thirty seconds left on the timer while Flash was busy fighting with Shayera.

"I can still run us all out of here!" he insisted while Shayera shook her head stubbornly in response.

"No! I'm not going to let all of this history be lost!" she snapped before Chuck shoved them aside and pressed a single button, stopping the countdown.

"It was really that easy?" Flint questioned before the group made their way over to the vault the villains broke into. Inside, only one box had been opened and subsequently emptied.

"What was in there?" Flash asked Chuck, looking inside the box. Chuck could only look at the empty box in fear.

* * *

Luthor returned to base with the other villains in tow, where he approached Grodd. He opened the tube before pulling out an ancient looking spear and tossing it to the ape. Grodd held it close to his eye as he examined it with a smile.

"The Spear of Longinus. Hitler believed that whoever held it was invincible" the ape explained as Luthor looked at him curiously.

"What are you going to do with it? Sell it to the highest bidder? Or keep it for yourself and try to take over the world?"

"I was thinking it would look good mounted on the wall in my office" he chuckled, while Luthor looked at him in disbelief and rage.

"You mean that you recruited me, sent me to an island full of deathtraps and against the Justice League… you made me risk my life… and all for nothing?!" the billionaire yelled as Grodd simply nodded with a shrug.

"Essentially, yes"

Luthor continued to level his glare at Grodd. Then, after a moment, he suddenly started to laugh. "Monkey, I like your style. Give me that piece of Brainiac and we're even"

Grodd however, shook his head. "Not yet Lex. Today was just a test. The next audition is for real"

Luthor reflexively reached for his pistol before Brainiac's voice stopped him. " _He still has something we need. We have to put up with him for the moment_ "

"I should kill you…" Luthor sneered.

"But you won't" Grodd smiled triumphantly.

"No…" Luthor sighed, shaking his head before he walked out. "Not today"

* * *

Despite the best efforts of the heroes, their search for the escaped villains turned up nothing. However, they were able to get a message out to the Watchtower to have a Javelin sent down to pick them up. That still left the group with a few hours to kill on the island. Shayera however, was already occupied with something. She and Chuck were currently standing in front of a memorial for the fallen Blackhawks, while the remainder of the group stood off away from them.

"Luthor sure didn't waste time rounding up a crew" Fire said with a frown, slowly reaching a hand out to Flash. "How do you think he got those guys to work for him?"

"Doctor Polaris and the Key?" Flash asked before frowning. "I don't know, they've never worked with Luthor before"

"But the Key's tech does match the method Luthor used to escape the authorities" Flint added. Fire nodded in agreement before turning back to Flash, a coy smile on her face as she took his hand.

"Well, since the mission is over, do you want to get a cup of coffee on the Watchtower?" she asked as Flash looked at their joined hands. He then smiled before nodding eagerly.

"Sounds great" he said, smiling at her.

Flint watched the two before chuckling to himself. "Yep. Ollie definitely owes me ten bucks" he mused before joining Shayera and Chuck in saluting the fallen.

* * *

 **The Society arc has officially begun, with another oddly long chapter. It was worth it though *shrugs***

 **As always, be sure to read and review!**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	28. Update

**Hey, Waffles here. I have just a quick update for you guys.**

 **So, the next chapter was supposed to go up today. Unfortunately, my computer is broken so I'm typing this update using my friend's tablet. This means that the next chapter won't be up for a while until I get a diagnosis as to what is wrong with my computer, and have it fixed.**

 **The next chapter will be "Chaos at the Earth's Core", and right after that will be the wedding. Then the rest of the episodes, in order, will be "To Another Shore", "The Dark Before the Light (an original chapter)", "Dead Reckoning", "Patriot Act", "The Great Brain Robbery", finishing with the three part finale (consisting of "Alive!", "Destroyer", and one last chapter to wrap everything up).**

 **So, in essence, the arc is almost done, as is the story. It's been a fun time, and I definitely appreciate all of the support. As always, if you have any questions or ideas, be sure to send me a message or to leave a review.**

 **Once again, I apologize for the delay. The new chapter should hopefully be up within the next few weeks, so be sure to stay tuned.**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	29. Chaos at the Earth's Core

**Guess who's back, back again!**

 **Waffles is back, tell a friend!**

 **Yes I have finally returned from my unscheduled and unexpected hiatus. Turns out, when the local Best Buy says they can have your computer repaired in a week, they mean they'll send it to Vancouver, wait around for two and a half weeks before fixing it, and then take another three days to send it back. But, at the very least I can continue writing now, and that's all that matters.**

 **Firstly, I can't thank you guys enough for your support. I realize your patience might have been running thin, but I thank you for sticking by for so long. This story will be completed! That you can count on!**

 **And now, to address your questions!:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Oh lot's of stuff will happen. You're just gonna have to wait and see ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

 **Lucian Naruto: Not exactly, but don't worry. It'll become clear as time goes on what the true purpose of this all is!**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Oh the Spear will definitely play a big role in the Shade's stand out chapter. Now that will be an exciting chapter for sure.**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Not sure if I'll get Flint down to Dakota, but we'll see.**

 **Thanks again for all of your comments and questions. They're all very much appreciated and I love getting each and every one.**

 **And now, for the usual disclaimer; I own nothing from this story other than the original idea. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. The Justice League, Legion of Doom, Warlord of Shamballah, and all related characters are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Please support their official releases.**

 **And now, finally - a MONTH overdue - the long awaited, next chapter!**

* * *

"Did you ever think that you would have to do this?" Sandman asked Green Lantern, the two heroes moving fast to keep up with their target. "I mean, of all the things we could be fighting, I would never have suspected a giant damn turtle"

"Is the fact that we're in Japan for this ironic or just cliché?" the former marine replied as Longshadow grappled with the giant mutated turtle, narrowly dodging a swipe of its massive claws. However, the monster struck a building as Lantern and Sandman moved to stop the debris from hurting the fleeing civilians.

"Think of it this way, we're in a real life Gamera movie!" Longshadow laughed before delivering a wicked haymaker to the turtle. The punch was followed by a beam of white energy, courtesy of Stargirl's staff.

"Ugh, I hate those movies. Why'd you make me watch them again?" she asked her boyfriend.

"You wanted to watch a movie for a date, and if I remember correctly you wanted a movie you could ignore so that we could…"

"Could what?" S.T.R.I.P.E.'s voice called from their communicators, a very clear stern tone dominating the question.

"Nothing sir" Shadow groaned before narrowly dodging a beam that was fired from the turtle's mouth. While most of S.T.R.I.P.E.'s similar comments were all done in a joking manner just to scare the Navajo teen, there was always that underlying tone of seriousness that ensured the topic was dropped. At least while he was around.

"That's what I thought. Anyway, the trap's all set guys. Hurry it up!" the armoured hero continued.

"Stow it, S.T.R.I.P.E." Green Lantern said in reply. "And get in position!" he yelled as the Turtle slowly found its bearings again. It gave an angered roar before standing up and starting to charge at the heroes. Stargirl however, immediately flew forward before using her staff to encase the creature in energy. She then attempted to lift the creature up into the air, however its massive bulk made that a largely useless effort.

"Wait for Lantern and Longshadow, Stargirl! You'll give yourself a hernia!" S.T.R.I.P.E. admonished his step-daughter.

The blonde teen however, simply rolled her eyes. "I've got it, Pat" she grunted, keeping her energy focused on the monster.

However, the turtle took a breath in before firing a massive burst of energy, and severing the beam created by Stargirl's staff. The sudden discharge of energy rebounded on her, sending her flying back until Longshadow caught her gently before setting her on a neighbouring building.

"You okay babe?" he asked as she sighed, looking away.

"I'm fine Ty" she groaned before S.T.R.I.P.E. fired several laser blasts as well as a large volley of rockets, forcing the turtle to its knees as it gave a roar of pain. However, the turtle soon retracted all of its limbs before jets of energy fired from the holes its limbs formerly occupied. The energy was so great that the shell swiftly took to the air before flying at the heroes.

"Oh my god… It _**IS**_ Gamera!" Longshadow exclaimed with a grin before he ran forward with Stargirl, Green Lantern, and S.T.R.I.P.E. going alongside him, while Flint made his way to the harbour to continue the plan. Together, the flying heroes carefully herded the monster towards the bay where a cargo ship was waiting for it. Thanks to Green Lantern's ring, as well as Pat's own scientific research, they managed to find a chemical to turn the turtle back to normal. However, the gas was toxic to humans, so Flint was moving to the ship so he could release it while in his sand form on the ship in order to turn the monster back to normal.

Flint rose from the ocean before dropping with a small pile of sand onto the ship as he reformed his body. "Alright John, I'm in position. Bring him out, then tonight we dine on turtle soup…"

"With pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes?" John finished with a laugh. "Alright, on my signal…"

"As if!" Stargirl interrupted before smirking. "Big boy's mine!" she said before streaking ahead after the turtle.

"Courtney!" S.T.R.I.P.E. yelled, trying to stop her but he was too late as she fired a beam of energy at the turtle. However, thanks to her position and the rotation of the monster as it flew, the beam would have only knocked it further away from the ship.

But then, a sudden red blur slammed into the turtle, knocking it down to the deck of the ship as Flint raised a remote detonator in his hand. "Cowabunga, dirt bag" he smirked as John used his ring to enclose the ship in a bubble. Then, Flint pressed the button as the canisters holding the chemical released a purple haze.

The turtle gave one last roar of defeat before the mist enclosed it. After a few minutes the mist dissipated, revealing a significantly smaller turtle stuck on its back on the hull of the ship. Flint helped it up as the turtle looked around confused.

"You know, he looks too cute to eat now" Flint laughed as the others landed down on the ship, including a newly arrived Supergirl who delivered the punch that landed the monster on the ship.

"You weren't actually going to eat him, were you?" The Kryptonian teen asked as John shrugged.

"I honestly never tried the soup before. Wasn't about to do it now" the Lantern laughed. "Thanks for the save by the way"

Not everyone was as thrilled with Supergirl's arrival however. Stargirl glared at the other blonde, angry at her for stealing away her thunder. Supergirl was unaware of her glare as the heroes made their way back to shore. When they arrived, a sudden crowd of fans surrounded Supergirl.

Supergirl waved politely to them as she landed, a large smile on her face. "Arigato, thank you, arigato"

Stargirl rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she huffed. "Arigato. Whatever. Who does she think she is" she muttered under her breath, looking at Longshadow who had shrunk back to normal and put an arm around her. She then glanced back at Supergirl as a swarm of young girls, all dressed in Supergirl's costume suddenly approached the Kryptonian. "How did she get here anyway, and what's with all the wannabes?"

"They're probably here for the convention" S.T.R.I.P.E. answered before jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

"Convention?" she blinked in surprise before looking in the direction her step-dad pointed in. Sure enough, across from the heroes there was a convention hall with the crest of the House of El, alongside pictures of Supergirl as some kind of anime character.

"Huh, I wonder if this is what the convention Keemia went to was like" Flint mused thoughtfully. Just the other week, Keemia had gotten a pass to go to a local convention in Miami. Admittedly he had never heard of Sailor Pluto, however after seeing Keemia arrive home afterwards in that costume, he intended to double check before saying yes next time.

His musing was cut short as Green Lantern suddenly approached Stargirl, giving her a very serious look and snapping her out of her daze by grasping her arm. "When we get back to the Metro Tower you and I are going to have a talk about grandstanding" he growled.

"Tell that to her!" Stargirl snapped before pointing at Supergirl. "That little show off stole my thunder!"

One of the girls heard her remark before running over and kicking Stargirl in the shin. "Don't you talk about Supergirl!" the girl yelled. "Supergirl can melt you with her eyes!"

"Big whoop, my stepdad is a mecha" she said, pointing to S.T.R.I.P.E. who waved back in response as she rubbed her now sore shin.

The girl however scoffed, much to her surprise. "Ha! Mecha is so last year!" she said before starting to walk off. The exchange actually allowed Lantern the chance to chuckle.

"She's very big in Japan" he remarked before Stargirl thought for a moment. Suddenly, remembering one of the trashy monster movies she watched previously with Longshadow, she smirked again.

"Well, my boyfriend is Ultraman" she said, suddenly catching the girl's attention. There was a brief silence before the wave of fans suddenly pulled Longshadow over to Supergirl so they could get photos with both heroes. Stargirl simply looked on in surprise as Flint chuckled.

"Can't imagine that's what you were goin' for"

* * *

After a few minutes, the Leaguers had finished up and were moving toward the Javelin, with the newly arrived Supergirl in tow. However, Longshadow had opted not to go with them. Being such a big fan of Ultraman he knew everything there was to know about the character, so he was more than happy to entertain the questions of his new fans (a fact that didn't sit well with an already jealous Stargirl). Due to teleporter interference, the Leaguers had opted to use a Javelin to get to and from their mission. Hopefully, the teleporters would be working in time later for when Longshadow was finished.

Lantern was initially intending to fly them back, but after Supergirl begging him for the chance to try again, he reluctantly allowed her to fly them back over the North Pole. However, she was unsure about the route itself. "So, why can't we just fly straight back to the Metro Tower?"

"Over the North Pole is the straightest route… Rookie" Green Lantern said with a smirk, as Supergirl stuck her tongue out childishly in response.

Sitting behind them, Flint was currently attempting to have a nap while Stargirl glared daggers at Supergirl. S.T.R.I.P.E. read a pamphlet from the Supergirl convention, his eyebrow cocked at the… less than accurate information within.

"She's always 'blah, blah, blah my cousin' or 'blah, blah, blah my powers'. She thinks she's so great, just because she's Supergirl" she griped.

Her stepdad, who had since removed his helmet, just sighed before closing the pamphlet. "If you ask me, the important thing is that we all pull through"

"Shut up, Pat!" she hissed before punching the armoured arm of her stepfather's armour. "It wasn't World War Three, it was a giant turtle!"

Pat simply frowned before leaning close. "If I was you, I wouldn't talk about someone behind their back when they got super-hearing"

Flint, having since decided it was too noisy in the back, got up with a sigh before walking to the cockpit, where Supergirl was frowning at Courtney's words. Flint sat next to her, before taking note of her expression and nudging her gently.

"You okay kid?" he asked, as she looked up at him. For a moment she seemed to consider her answer before finally sighing and shaking her head with a false smile.

"It's Stargirl. She's just talking about me" she said as Flint gave a knowing nod.

"Don't worry about her. She's just hot-headed. I mean, you saw today. She just wanted a chance to be the big hero and despite her actions being… less than appropriate, she just thinks you fixing it stole her thunder"

"But she's talking about how I act superior. Do I really do that?" she asked with a frown.

"Not really. I'm sure when you started you might have, but you've had the time you needed to cool off. She just needs the same. Thankfully Shadow has gone a long way to helping that" Flint assured her. Supergirl considered his words before nodding thankfully.

Suddenly, without any warning, the Javelin jerked downward, speeding towards the ground. Lantern gripped the back of Supergirl's chair, trying to keep himself sturdy as he looked to the Kryptonian teen.

"Kara, easy on the yoke!"

"I'm trying, I'm not doing anything!" she said, demonstrating how the controls refused to respond to her action, no matter how much she struggled against them.

The Javelin rapidly approached the ground, the heroes inside bracing for impact before a large hole suddenly opened beneath them. The Javelin flew inside, before there was a bright flash of light, and they suddenly disappeared.

* * *

Finally, after another flash, the Javelin reappeared above a forest before it quickly plummeted down to the ground. It dug a deep trench as drove through several trees and the dirt. Finally, the Javelin came to a stop against the trunk of a tree. John used his ring to open the Javelin before he and the others slowly came out to inspect their new surroundings. As they found earlier as they were crashing, instead of being surrounded by ice and snow, they were instead in the middle of a large forest.

"Well, that was smoother than expected" Flint said dryly.

"Just how bad did you think would be?" S.T.R.I.P.E. asked, shaking his head while both Stargirl and Supergirl reached for their communicators at the same time.

"Watchtower" both said before turning to each other. Stargirl scoffed before looking away and folding her arms.

"Be my guest" she said snidely as Supergirl ignored her and pressed the communicator again.

"J'onn, its Supergirl. Please respond" she said into the communicator before looking at the others with a frown. "Nothing. Not even static"

"Huh" Green Lantern frowned before checking around with his ring. "My ring says we're still at the North Pole"

Flint raised looked at him skeptically before turning back to the forest. "You sure about that?"

"What, they don't have secret tropical paradises under ice sheets in your world?" John asked rhetorically.

"Well in my world, it's under the South Pole. It's also full of dinosaurs" he said before pointing up. "But last I checked, it didn't look like that" he said before pointing straight up. The others followed his gaze and each looked in surprise at the fact that they were enclosed in one large sphere. Above their heads there wasn't a sky, there were instead mountains, forests, and even entire lakes.

"How is that even possible?" Stargirl asked in surprise.

"My guess is that we're way underground, maybe even the centre of the Earth… somehow" Lantern explained before looking back up. "Which explains why those lakes above us aren't raining on us. The gravity is equalized"

"Well that's all fine" Supergirl frowned before folding her arms. "But where's the exit?"

Before anyone could answer her, a sudden growl came from the bushes drawing their attention behind them. As they all turned, they saw several large velociraptors emerge from the bushes, being ridden by several humanoid reptiles. The reptilians were each holding some sort of energy weapons, and their expressions gave away their less than friendly intent.

"I'd say the exit is through them" Green Lantern mused before turning to Flint. "What was that about your world's secret arctic tropics having dinosaurs?"

"John, I promise you the Savage Land is way cooler than this" Flint groaned, before the reptilians opened fire on them. Green Lantern fired back alongside Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. while Flint moved to flank around behind them.

"This shouldn't be too hard" Supergirl smirked before rushing forward at a charging dinosaur and punching it right in the leg. Much to her unfortunate surprise, instead of the dinosaur flying back like she expected, she instead recoiled in pain, clutching her hand. Suddenly, her eyes widened in surprise as she realised her mistake. Normally, she could literally feel her power, but now she couldn't. In fact, she only felt a small fraction of it.

She quickly dodged an attack from the dinosaur before backing up to where the others were. "Guys, I have a problem. My powers aren't working!" she exclaimed as Flint's eyes widen in surprise. Supergirl was easily the heaviest hitter they had. If her powers didn't work… what about his own?

"Oh that ain't good" he remarked before noticing a dinosaur as it charge at him. Stargirl however, didn't seem too put out. In fact, she levelled a smirk at her before giving her a mock pout.

"Aww, poor baby" she said darkly as Supergirl glared back.

"I'm serious! I'm at half strength, maybe less!" she fired back before Flint crashed in front of them. It seemed she wasn't the only one as he was nursing a bite mark from one of the raptors with a grimace.

"Yeah and she ain't the only one. So cut your self-righteous bullshit and actually help us!" he fired back at a now nervously nodding Stargirl, who took the hint quickly before firing at another dinosaur that approached them.

"A little harsh, don't you think?" Lantern asked.

"Nothin' she can't handle. But we can't afford that sort of an attitude while our own lives are at stake" he shrugged. "Besides, she has to drop her own pretence. She wasn't helping went she went gung-ho on that turtle, and she certainly wasn't helping now" he said before grabbing a nearby stick and using it to knock a rider off of one of the raptors.

Supergirl, meanwhile, took cover behind a boulder before noticing a flock of pterodactyls flying towards them, carrying more reptilians, this time armed with guns. "Heads up!" she called to the others. Lantern nodded before he and S.T.R.I.P.E. fired their own lasers in response, taking out several riders, while Flint threw his stick, knocking another pterodactyl out of the sky.

During a brief reprieve before the next group of attackers came, Lantern turned to Stargirl. "Cover Supergirl!" he ordered before flying off to attack the swarm head on. Supergirl had since left her cover before attempting to fly away from a pair of the reptilians riding the pterodactyls. However, with her inability to access her full power she could barely get a few feet off the ground.

Stargirl smirked as she flew above the downed Supergirl, quickly drawing the ire of the depowered Kryptonian. "What are you waiting for? Zap them with your staff thingy!"

"Oh, may I?" Stargirl asked in mock surprise. "Because it would be such an honour to help the great Supergirl out of a jam" she continued as the riders quickly closed in. However, her attitude didn't go completely unnoticed as Flint suddenly took the staff from her, causing Stargirl to drop to the ground.

"Hey! Give that back!" she yelled indignantly as Flint used to blast the last of the riders.

"You have a serious attitude problem, do you know that? And until you get over it, I have the authority to put on the reserve roster!" Flint threatened before tossing her staff back to her. "Once we get home that's exactly what's gonna happen. Get off your high-horse" he scowled before walking back to John and Pat, who had since landed back on the ground. The last of the reptilians had since retreated, as Pat pressed a finger to the side of his helmet as he scanned their surroundings.

"I'm scanning the area. Yep, that's the last of them" he nodded before turning. "Oh… wait" he dead-panned as they all turned to see a Tyrannosaurus stomping towards them before it gave an ear-shattering roar.

"We need to distract it. Anyone got a lawyer?" Flint asked before there was suddenly a deafening gunshot. Then a few more rang out as the dinosaur slumped over dead. Standing behind the now dead T-Rex, was a large muscular man. His shoulders were armoured, and he had a metal helmet, but aside from that his only other clothing was a loincloth. Under the helmet, he had pure white hair, and a neatly trimmed beard, his eyes burning bright with hope. A sword was strapped to his belt while a still smoking gun was firmly grasped in his hand.

"Travis Morgan" the man greeted. "Warlord of Shamballah. I've been expecting you"

* * *

Morgan led the heroes through the jungle and back to his fortress, a large and imposing structure made of wood and stone. Around the walls, dozens of men and women were sparring. They were armed with various styles of medieval weaponry, but aside from some sparing lances, they largely ignored the heroes. Morgan then took them inside the fortress before leading them inside a room with a large table, gesturing for them to sit.

The group was soon joined by Tara, Morgan's wife and queen as food was brought to the group. As they received their plates, Morgan removes his helmet before speaking again. "Welcome to Skartaris, the centre of the Earth. Sorry I can't put out more of a spread, times are tough" he apologized as the heroes now sheepishly looked at their food.

John, thankfully, broke the awkward silence. "Morgan, I don't believe you brought us here just to feed us"

A young woman suddenly walked in, bearing a striking resemblance to Morgan. "We are in dire need" she said as Morgan nodded.

"My daughter, Jennifer" he introduced. Jennifer was clad in Long green robes, wearing a green headdress with long flowing white hair. She nodded to her father appreciatively for the introduction before she continued.

"Our world must have champions. I used my magic to reach out and bring you here to the centre of the Earth"

"I'd call the whole thing a load of crab cakes if I wasn't here to see it" S.T.R.I.P.E. admitted. "And even seeing it, I still ain't a hundred percent"

At that Morgan rose before walking to the door. "If you want something to believe in, come on"

The heroes looked at each other for a moment before they all rose and followed her and her father back outside. When they entered the yard they saw another group of people sparring. Unlike the first group they saw however, these ones were clearly more unaccustomed to fighting. They held their weapons with uncertainty and were frailer than their counterparts outside.

"Geez, you call that an army?" Stargirl asked skeptically.

"Most of these people lost everything to Deimos" Morgan said, a sudden cold and harsh tone, as she cast a sidelong glare at Stargirl. "So, you know. Feel free to dump on them"

Stargirl blanched before shaking her head. "What I meant was…"

"She means we'll do everything we can to help" Supergirl finished for her, as Stargirl shot another glance her way. However, this one wasn't nearly harsh. She knew that she had run her mouth without thinking, and that they had a responsibility to help them.

"Tell us about Deimos" Green Lantern offered.

"He's a nasty wizard" Morgan said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "And those were his dino-troopers you met earlier. He used to try and shake down a kingdom here and there, but a few months ago he started this big push to take over the world"

"He did that when he got those advanced weapons, didn't he?" Flint surmised, knowing that the energy weapons the reptilians carried were far too advanced for the capabilities of this world.

Morgan gave a nod of confirmation before sighing and shaking his head. "All of a sudden, the wizard's gone high tech. He's not smart enough to figure out that kind of thing, so somebody's supplying him. Back when I was in the Air Force, that energy weapon stuff was science fiction"

"That explains why Morgan the Barbarian packs an AutoMag" Green Lantern mused with a smirk

"I came through the same portal that you did and made myself at home" he said with a wistful smile on his face. The smile quickly faded as he gestured back to the people who were still training. "Look around you; these are some of the last free people in Skartaris. Deimos has us pinned between his army and the Great Stone"

S.T.R.I.P.E. cocked his head curiously. "Okay I'll bite. What great stone?"

Morgan turned before pointing to the mountain behind them that the fortress was built into. "The monks keep it in a tabernacle deep inside the mountain. They say it's got magic properties. Deimos wants it bad"

"Don't suppose you'd show it to us, would you?" Flint asked. Morgan seemed to think on it before nodding and leading the heroes towards the mountain.

* * *

For the reptilians who had escaped their failed attack on the heroes, they now had the shame of returning to their encampment as a failure. They returned, looking around warily for any sign of Deimos, being largely ignored by the other troops that were currently stationed at the camp. While the wounded were taken to receive treatment, one scout took a moment to collect himself before going to hold an audience with their leader.

"Lord Deimosss" he hissed respectfully, catching the wizard in a moment of deep thought. "The alien force essscaped usss"

Deimos didn't turn to face the scout. Instead, he stopped stroking his short goatee, his train of thought disturbed. There was a long period of silence before the grey-skinned wizard final spoke. "Describe them"

The scout gulped nervously before nodding. "My lord, it happened ssso fassst-" he started before being suddenly backhanded by Deimos and sent crashing to the ground.

"How many were there?" Deimos asked, his still calm voice suddenly laced with an unnerving anger. "Did they have weapons? Did they address each other by name?" he continued asking, pulling a sword from his belt before pointing it at the scout. The scout scrambled to think of something – _anything_ – that he could report, but Deimos grew impatient and slowly raised the sword.

"One wore a coat of armsss!" the scout suddenly remembered. Deimos looked at him with an unreadable expression, before the sword was slowly lowered. His interest piqued, and nodded for the scout to continue. The scout hurriedly nodding before tracing the symbol etched in his mind into the dirt. The shape was of a shield, with a large 'S' inside of it.

Deimos nodded, seemingly appeased as the scout gave a sigh of relief. Deimos then raised his hand and immediately vaporised the scout with a beam of light fired from his gauntlet. Deimos looked back to the symbol, his eyes narrowed in thought before he turned to a dark corner of his tent.

"Well? You're my military advisors, do you recognize this crest?" he asked.

"Yes" a synthesized voice answered before its owner stepped out. Metallo, a cyborg supervillain emerged, flanked by Silver Banshee. Both were dangerous opponents, and both were also long-time enemies of the house of El. "I know it well"

* * *

As Morgan led the heroes of the Justice League through the tunnels of the mountain, the heroes could only stare in awe. The size and depth of the tunnel, in addition to the intricate pillars and carvings that adorned the walls, simply had them dumbstruck. Even without modern technology, this land still found ways to amaze them.

After a while they finally reached the heart of the temple. Inside a chamber guarded by a large door, there stood a pair of monks, each flanking a larger man with dark skin and a large mace that had replaced his missing right hand. The trio stood in front of what appeared to be the tabernacle Morgan described, before the larger man turned, having heard Morgan enter.

"Morgan!" he greeted jovially in a bellowing voice.

"Machiste!" Morgan greeted in equal enthusiasm before rushing forward and greeting the man happily. After gripping Machiste's arm with familiarity and respect, he turned back to face the heroes. "Best guy I know, and the King of Kiro" he explained with a grin. "He also knows more about the Great Stone as anybody. Machiste, these are members of the Justice League. They're here to help"

Green Lantern moved to shake Machiste's hand, but upon noticing that it was replaced with a mace, he simply nodded in greeting. "Hey"

Machiste gave a curt nod before getting down to business. "When the Black Death came upon me, my case seemed hopeless. That is, until the monks placed me before the Great Stone and let me bathe in the rays"

"This stone… can heal you?" Flint asked curiously.

"Only for the most desperate. It can either cure or kill" Machiste clarified as Morgan nodded.

"And Deimos isn't the healing type"

At that, Machiste walked over to the tabernacle where a pair of large doors were. One of the monks pulled a lever as Machiste raised his arms up. "Behold, the Great Stone!"

Whatever the heroes were expecting, it certainly wasn't what they saw. The green glow that emerged from behind the door was all too familiar to them. Inside the tabernacle was easily the largest piece of Kryptonite any of them had ever seen. It was larger even than their Javelin. The radiation was greatly increased by the size was well as Supergirl immediately fell over, screaming in pain as her body convulsed.

Flint pulled her away from the Kryptonite as Lantern and S.T.R.I.P.E. flew up to close the door. The light slowly faded as Flint moved his body from where it was shielding Kara from the radiation. One of the monks moved the lever back into place as the Leaguers gathered back around their team mate.

"Are you okay?" Stargirl asked. This time, her malice was gone. None of it remained behind, the only thing in her voice was genuine concern.

"I've never seen a piece of Kryptonite that big before" she admitted with a laugh. Despite the smile she tried to put on, her body was still trembling. "If this place wasn't messing with my powers, I'd be dead already"

"We'll get you back outside. You'll feel better when you get some air" Flint offered, helping her to stand before a panther limped into the room. The cat's body was littered with cuts and wounds, and it staggered forward before collapsing to the ground and turning into a young woman with distinctly feline eyes. Morgan immediately rushed forward to help her up, his face panicked.

"Shakira!" he said in worry, as the woman looked up at him in despair.

"Deimos is here… it's the end" she said ruefully before Machiste gingerly lifted her before carrying her deeper into the temple for safety. Morgan meanwhile, took up his sword before leading the Leaguers back outside to the walls of the fortress. Beyond the wall, a massive army of dino-troopers approached; Deimos leading at the head, upon horseback.

Their numbers clearly outclassed those of the heroes, and the abundance of energy weapons only added to the discomfort of Morgan's army. Morgan however, slid his helmet back on before approaching the gate. He suddenly flung the door open before drawing his sword.

"FOR SKARTARIS!" he bellowed before leading his army forward, his legion roaring in defiance of the reptilian horde. Then, all at once they charged from the gate, swinging their weapons and cutting down soldiers left and right.

Green Lantern took to the air, using a shield conjured by his ring to provide cover for Morgan's archers, who peppered the advancing reptilians from a distance. S.T.R.I.P.E. flew on ahead, targeting missiles and energy blasts at the large beast carrying energy cannons that the reptilians intended to use on the walls of the fortress. Every missile dropped another monster to the ground, as his armoured for shrugged off every attack made against him.

Stargirl grinned before using her staff to force the front line of reptilians back further, in addition to targeting more of the reptilians who carried energy weapons.

"Let's get this done" Green Lantern said with a nod. "Flint, Kara. You might want to stay back…" he started before seeing Kara jump off of the wall, a borrowed sword clutched in her hand as she attacked the advancing army below. "Tell me you're not as crazy as her"

"Of course not" Flint grinned. "I'm bringing a shield" he laughed before charging with a shield and mace in hand, bashing any trooper that got too close while using the shield to push them further back.

Deimos grimaced as he watched his army slowly start to become decimated. Much to his ire, the defending army had taken up the energy weapons dropped by his own troops. Now, with a boost to their morale and to their firepower, they were becoming a true force to be reckoned with. He sneered before raising his arms and summoning three massive worms from the earth. They were each easily a hundred feet long, with mouths filled to the brim with razor sharp teeth.

Jennifer, however, was quick to respond as her hands and eyes immediately glowed with magic energy. In an instant, she had summoned a massive demon made of fire, before sending it at the worms. The charred carcasses of the worms fell to the ground, crushing even more of Deimos' army in their wake.

"I definitely need one of these now!" Flint laughed as he swung the mace through another crowd of troopers, before making a path clear to where Green Lantern was. However, he stopped dead when he took note of who the Lantern had just defeated. Laying on the ground was a woman with long silvery hair, her face a skull, and her body adorned with black and white motifs of death. "Is that seriously Silver Banshee, or am I dreaming?"

"Nope, it's her alright" John said grimly before gesturing to her handiwork as several of Morgan's men lay dead, their bodies left as empty husks. "I just don't get why she's here"

"Maybe she's here for the Kryptonite" Flint mused. "Although, if she's here, did she bring anyone with her?"

Before John could answer, another trooper opened fire on them. They both blocked with their respective shields before Flint smirked. "You know, I always wanted to try this" he grinned before flinging the shield, just like he'd seen Cap do in the past. The fast flying shield found its mark and struck the reptilian right in the face, taking him out of the fight.

"Nice shot. Now let's… where'd she go?!" Lantern yelled, as he turned to see Silver Banshee had escaped using the temporary distraction.

* * *

While the battle outside was both fierce and devastating in its display of power, that same display made for the perfect distraction for Deimos to sneak inside the temple. He entered in, flanked by some of his own strongest warriors as they probed the tunnels until they found the tabernacle they were searching for. In reality, he cared very little for the Great Stone within, he just wished to rule Skartaris. However, when that outsider Metallo offered him the chance to rule in exchange for his help in acquiring the Stone, there was no way he could refuse.

Deimos inspected the doors with a nod before turning to one of the soldiers that flanked him. "Tell the outworlder to come get his rock"

The trooper nodded, but before he could do as he was told a sudden burst of white energy sent him into the wall, knocking him out cold. More burst of the same energy followed, completely decimating the forces Deimos had brought with him. Deimos turned to see who was attacking, before he was suddenly slammed into the wall by Stargirl, who pinned him with her staff.

"You need a new plan" the teen said triumphantly before Deimos raised his gauntlets and fired his own beam of magical energy to force her back.

"My magic is strongest girl" he boasted, firing more energy. Stargirl simply deflected the blast with her staff before returning fire with her staff, destroying his gauntlets.

"Your breath is the strongest due, that's about it" she said with a condescending smirk, before the sudden arrival of Metallo took her by surprise. He grabbed her staff before using it to place Stargirl into a chokehold. Deimos smiled darkly at the arrival of his comrade before stepping forward, cupping Stargirl's chin, and forcing her to look at him.

"Such a pretty child. But then, they're always pretty when I begin"

"Deimos!" a voice bellowed, drawing the attention of the three to the entrance of the room, where Morgan was standing. His helmet was missing, and blood freely flowed from the gash on his forehead, but he focused a hardened glare to the sorcerer before raising his sword. "You and me, pal"

Deimos didn't seem troubled by the interruption; in fact he grinned victoriously before drawing his own sword. "Morgan, I was hoping to kill you today"

Morgan charged forward before the two men clashed blades, the swords vicious swings meeting and parrying each other with finesse. Despite Morgan's own fatigue, he was still the better swordsman by far. Deimos however, refused to give in, and continued his assault, eventually leading Morgan off deeper into the temple.

With Metallo still distracted by the sudden confrontation, Stargirl used the opportunity to grip her staff and lift up into the air, flying backwards and slamming Metallo repeatedly into the wall. Metallo simply chuckled darkly before grabbing the girl by her throat and violently slamming her face into a nearby pillar. She dropped limply to the ground and he strode past her, making his way to the tabernacle to retrieve the stone.

"Touch it and you're tinfoil!"

He inwardly groaned at what was a familiar, and at the same time annoying, voice. Then, shaking his head, he turned around to see Supergirl facing him with a cocky smile. Metallo simply opened the slot on his chest, revealing a large chunk of Kryptonite as he advanced towards her.

"At this distance, the Kryptonite that powers me would bring even your cousin to his knees"

"I'm immune to Kryptonite here metal-mouth, give up!" she boasted before dodging a kryptonite laser that Metallo fired from his hands. She rolled out of the way, before grasping Stargirl's staff and aiming it at the robotic villain.

"If you're immune love, why do you need that staff?" he asked, attempting to goad a reaction. His bluff worked, and for a second her confident expression wavered. It was brief, but it was all the evidence he needed. Immediately, he rushed at her, intent to catching her in a chokehold and using his Kryptonite to kill her slowly.

Kara was ready however, and once Metallo got close, she raised the staff before swinging it down onto Metallo's shoulder. The energy coursing through the staff, couple with all the momentum, caused the head of the staff to almost sever his limb completely.

He stared in shock as his mangled and useless limb, while Supergirl ran off down a nearby tunnel. After a moment to process what exactly had just happened, he grasped the remains of his arm before tearing it off. Before he was just annoyed, but now? Now he was furious.

* * *

Morgan and Deimos' duel continued further and further into the temple, down a corridor and approaching a large flight of stairs. Deimos faked a swing to one side, before using the opportunity to knock Morgan onto the ground before kicking his sword away from him across the floor. He gave a barking laugh before attempting to stab the downed warlord; but Morgan was undeterred, swinging his foot around to trip the wizard. Deimos dropped his sword as he fell, but upon landing he noticed Morgan's own blade next to him.

Both men immediately grasped the other's weapon before resuming their duel as they back over to the narrow staircase, carefully backing their way up the stairs. With Morgan leading the way however, that forced Deimos to take the low ground in their confrontation. Deimos, attempting to even the odds, swung at Morgan's feet. However, Morgan simply stomped his boot down on the blade before snapping it in half with his own sword.

"It's over" Morgan said, raising his sword to Deimos who simply laughed in response.

"You think you've won? No, freedom-loving warlord; you will never unite the lands and bring peace. Justice is just a foolish dream" the wizard sneered.

Morgan studied him carefully, lowering his sword. "Maybe so, wizard. But it's one dream worth fighting for"

Deimos gripped the broken hilt of his sword tighter before lunging, hoping to ram the splintered metal into the warlord's abdomen. Morgan deftly stepped aside, causing the Deimos to lose his balance. The wizard only had time to widen his eyes before he fell forward off the staircase and down the chasm below them. The war had finally ended.

* * *

Stargirl groaned in pain, clutching her head as she sat up. She took notice of the room around her, seeing her staff was missing, as were Supergirl and Metallo. Putting two and two together, she immediately stood before moving down a hallway, following the sounds of the commotion. Finally, she emerged through to the exit where she found the two of them, engaged in combat.

Supergirl was still nimbly dodging the kryptonite lasers that Metallo fired at her. However, her energy was slowly but surely being sapped by the still exposed Kryptonite in Metallo's open chest. She couldn't keep her energy up forever, and at that point, all Metallo would have to do is end it.

She grabbed her fallen staff from the ground before rushing forward to help Supergirl, who had finally been struck by one of the beams as her strength left her and she was left unable to dodge. The weakened Kryptonian grabbed an energy pistol that had been left by one of the dino-troopers and fired shot after shot at the advancing villain before she ran out of ammunition.

Metallo smirked as he stalked menacingly towards her. "You lied, little one. I can see the illness creeping over you" he triumphantly declared before firing another powerful beam. Supergirl, in her weakened state was unable to get out of the way, but thankfully she didn't have to.

Stargirl rushed in before deflecting the blast right back at Metallo, knocking the villain across the room. "Is this gonna be a thing now? Me saving you?"

Supergirl gave her an appreciative look before slowly standing up. "Last I checked, I already saved you today. That makes us even"

Stargirl simply smirked before Metallo stood back up out of the rubble he was knocked into, his glare hardening even further at the two young heroes. "Neither of you have any of Superman's strength"

"No. We don't" Stargirl conceded with a shrug while Supergirl idly twirled a hidden dagger in her fingers, having retrieved it when she was knocked to the floor by the last blast.

"But we've got brains!" Supergirl grinned before throwing the dagger at Metallo's exposed wires in his arm. The blade penetrated deep as electricity cracked and sparked all along his body. With Metallo unable to move, Stargirl raised her staff before removing the Kryptonite that powered his body and throwing away, deep into the cave.

Metallo's motionless form stood before them. Even though he could no longer move, he could still speak, and with narrowed eyes he gave one last growl of rage at his defeat.

* * *

In the wake of the battle, Morgan and his family, accompanied by Machiste and Shakira, stood before their victorious army, who cheered at the appearance of their fearless leader.

"Will there ever be another time such as ours? The Great Stone is safe! Deimos is defeated! Now and forever, Skartaris… is FREE!" Morgan declared before the crowd before him erupted into more victorious cheers.

Not everyone was joining the warlord and his army in their celebration. From inside the fortress, Sandman had rejoined the two blonde teens, with Green Lantern and S.T.R.I.P.E. close behind, and was now beginning an interrogation of the villain.

Supergirl and Stargirl stood off to the side, speaking in hushed tones to each other. Thanks to their victory today, they seemed to have reached some sort of middle ground, and were now on better terms. They weren't quite friends yet, but they were now at least willing to make the effort.

Lantern, meanwhile, used his ring to hold Metallo's kryptonite in a containment field, waving it in front of the villain almost teasingly. "John Corbin, alias Metallo. Fancy meeting you here in the centre of the Earth, pilfering Kryptonite with Silver Banshee. You could pretty much run forever on this one little chunk" he started, knowing that Kryptonite powered Metallo's body. His tone suddenly became much darker as he continued. "And without it, what do you have. Fifteen minutes of reserve power? Ten? Tell me, why do you want it so much? There's enough in that tabernacle to satisfy a hundred Superman haters"

"Or to make enough Kryptonite laced bullets to arm nearly a hundred soldiers for decades" Flint continued. "So, the question remains, why? You being paid for this?"

"You won't get anything out of me" Metallo snapped suddenly.

"Pretty soon, you won't have the breath to talk" Lantern fired back, breaking the last of the villain's bravado. "Who knows? Five Minutes… One minute?"

Metallo's eyes widened in panic before conceding. "Alright!" he shouted. "I joined forces with- AUUGHH!" his sentence was cut off by his scream of pain, as sparks erupted from his forehead. The screaming continued for a few more seconds before he fell over, out cold.

"Whoa nelly!" S.T.R.I.P.E. said in surprise as Flint shielded his own eyes.

"Now that's a new one" he grimaced. "I don't think Silver Banshee put that there. They gotta be getting supplied elsewhere"

"But who?" Stargirl asked before the sound of footsteps approached, and Morgan made his way over to the heroes.

"You'll take that… _thing_ with you?" he asked, gesturing to Metallo's comatose form.

"Definitely" S.T.R.I.P.E. confirmed. "And the Great Stone too. We'll have GL here whip it into the sun"

"Wait" Supergirl said, interrupting S.T.R.I.P.E. and taking a limping step forward. "This is the one place that Kryptonite can do some good"

"That is a fact" Morgan nodded in agreement.

"What if Silver Banshee tells someone about it though? Or what if she comes back with more villains? It could be a problem then" Flint frowned.

"He's got a point" Lantern nodded. "So the only way I'll let the Stone stay here is if we seal the portal to Skartaris permanently"

"Fine by me" Morgan shrugged, his wife and daughter walking up from behind him. "I got everything I need right here"

* * *

As soon as the Leaguers could all move, Green Lantern used his ring to form a bubble around Flint, Kara, and Metallo flying them outside the portal as Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. flew alongside him. Once outside, Lantern immediately used his ring to bury the portal deep under ice and stone. It took him nearly an hour, but he was finally satisfied with his handiwork.

"There. I doubt even I could get back through" he declared.

"That's a relief" Flint grinned gesturing to their communicators. "I just sent a message to J'onn. The teleporters will online in a few minutes, so we could head out somewhere a little warmer while we wait for that"

"Oh definitely" Stargirl nodded in agreement. "I think after the day we had, I just want to curl up on a couch with Ty and watch a movie"

"Lemme guess, Conan the Barbarian" Supergirl joked as Stargirl scoffed playfully.

"As if. I'll probably put on a Gamera movie or something"

"I thought you hated those"

"Well, I never really pay attention to them when we do watch one. Usually I just…"

"A-hem!" S.T.R.I.P.E. interrupted as Stargirl looked away with a groan of annoyance.

"Ugh, let's just go already!" Stargirl complained before turning to Sandman. "You're not really gonna move me to the reserve roster, are you?" she asked nervously.

Flint seemed to think that over for a moment before shrugging. "I'd say you avoided that for now. But we will still have a discussion about proper behaviour while on a mission" he said.

Stargirl nodded, seemingly satisfied with that, before she and Supergirl took off flying ahead of them.

"Courtney! Slow your butt down!" S.T.R.I.P.E. called before taking to the air behind them.

"Ugh" she groaned. "My dad"

"I know. Superman tried to keep me on the farm. Made me hide there for three years" Supergirl said sympathetically.

"Big deal. I've still got curfew" Stargirl groaned. "Enough cosmic energy to trash a city and I can't stay out past ten!"

"Three years… on a farm… in Kansas!" Supergirl retorted.

Lantern sighed at the two of them, shaking his head as he used his ring to fly Flint out. "Soo how you holding up in the safety bubble?" he asked with a smirk.

"Ha ha, I think Metallo here is better company" Flint retorted before jerking a thumb to the unresponsive metal husk behind him in the bubble.

"We'll have J'onn probe what's left of Metallo's mind. I want to know what he was going to say" Lantern nodded, suddenly back to the seriousness of the situation.

S.T.R.I.P.E. nodded before looking back at Metallo as they flew, an unnatural chill coming over him. "Something's going on, ain't it?" he asked.

"Yeah… something. First Luthor working with the Key and Doctor Polaris, and now Metallo and Silver Banshee? Something's definitely not right" Flint nodded grimly before they continued on ahead.

* * *

 **And done! Hope it was worth the wait for you guys.**

 **I also realize that this chapter was pretty pop-culture heavy (And yes, the lawyer joke was _WAAAAAAAAY_ too easy to make). I mean, it took all of my willpower during Morgan and Deimos' duel to not type out "It's over Anakin; I have the high-ground!"**

 **As always though, be sure to read and review. Up next is probably the biggest, most life-changing event in Sandman's life!**

 **His wedding day.**

 **As always, be sure to read and review.**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	30. For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls

**Tonight, on a very special episode of "Sandman Unlimited"...**

 **The wedding of the ages!**

 **Welcome back to yet another chapter, and I can now say with pride that I have officially crossed the barrier of 200,000 words!**

 **First of all, a big thanks to everyone for the warm welcomes back. It certainly feels good to return to my writing now. I would also like to thank you for the positive reception of the last chapter. I was worried the pop-culture references would be a bit much. Thankfully, they seem to have gone over well.**

 **Now, time for some reviews!:**

 **JJChandler: Honestly, I'm surprised at that too.**

 **Reader: Oh there is certainly the possibility for spin-offs in the future, but only if there is enough interest generated. I have enough on my plate already with the sequel.**

 **Lovingh3art: thank you for the lovely comment!**

 **Omarnosian: Yeah... that may have been an oversight on my part. Admittedly I was just running on Savage Land logic of powers being nullified. Oops.**

 **Awesome dide: This actually brings up a good point. I don't want Supergirl to stay in that future. In fact I have a different idea for that chapter altogether; an Injustice crossover. Instead of going to the future, they go to the Injustice universe during the events of the first game. Let me know what you guys think and this might actually happen.**

 **Lucian Naruto: Well considering the fact that Ego beat the hell out of Thor in only his first appearance, I'd say Brainiac would be pretty damn screwed.**

 **Dion ComicWiz: as I said before, spin-offs are definitely a possibility. An Ultimen spin off definitely sounds the most fun to do, but I'll see what I come up with. Warlord is definitely the DC equivalent to Ka-Zar though.**

 **Thanks again for the fantastic comments!  
**

 **As an extra tidbit I hid a really sneaky Stan Lee reference in this chapter. See if you guys can spot it!**

 **And now, disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. The Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC comics and Warner Bros.**

 **Now, time for a wedding!**

* * *

"I still say that we should have gone to a club for this" Wally said with a mock pout as Flint laughed, shaking his head.

"Hell no. As great as that would have been, Z has the uncanny ability to know everything I do" he argued. "Besides, we got everything we need here; drinks, football, and poker"

Wally had to agree with that. It was Flint's bachelor party, and for the night, Ollie spared no expenses. He held the party at his high end apartment, and they had managed to invite quite the crowd. In addition to Flint, Wally, John, and himself (the poker night regulars), they had managed to get Clark, Herman, Aleksei, J'onn, Vic, Constantine, Pat, Greg (Vigilante), and Justin (Shining Knight) to come as well. The only man missing from the invite list was Bruce. The brooding vigilante simply refused to give up his usual patrol for a night of fun. However, he did send a rather nice present by buying them their drinks for the evening.

"I gotta hand it to you Ollie, you threw a hell of a party" John laughed before tossing a few chips into the pot.

"Well, how could I possibly resist. Our very own Flint Marko is getting married" he smirked. "Oh they grow up so fast"

"At least I won't end up like you did after your bachelor party" Flint smirked back as Ollie shot him a mock glare. While Oliver had never divulged to anyone what the true events of that evening were, Flint was one of the few people who did know. He was also sworn to an oath of confidence that he would never reveal exactly what had happened. The only thing keeping Dinah from killing Oliver was the fact that she didn't know either.

At least… they hoped not.

"Regardless, I just want to give you my congratulations during your last hours as a free man" Oliver said before raising his drink in a toast. "To Flint Marko"

"To Flint!" the others called, raising their own drinks.

"Ain't that a little much?" Flint questioned as John smirked.

"Never" he laughed before Superman suddenly quieted him.

"This is it, twelve seconds left and he's gonna run it back! The Packers are gonna win!" he called before the poker game was swiftly abandoned. The guys all crowded around the TV, watching intently as the Packers rushed towards their game winning touchdown against the Raiders.

"Come on… come on!" Wally pleaded as they all pleaded. Meanwhile, no one noticed J'onn eyes glowing faintly.

Then it happened. The Raiders team mate who was closest dove too early. Five yards too early. With the only opposition hitting the field behind him, the ball was easily run across the end zone. At first, there was no reaction. The men all just stared at the TV in shock.

Then, slowly but surely the cheering began. It started with Oliver and Wally, then to Clark, finally everyone had joined in with the celebration of the Packers' victory.

"I can't believe it! J'onn can you believe it?" Wally asked his Martian friend eagerly.

J'onn simply finished the Chocco that he was eating before giving a shrug and a small smile. "I can't believe it either" he replied before watching the others with a satisfied nod. Of course, the Raiders almost stopped the touchdown from happening. Nothing a little Martian telepathy couldn't fix. Besides, no one would suspect a thing.

Flint simply beamed as the celebration continued. "This is the best night of my life!"

* * *

As is often the case with these things, the "best night of his life" happened to go until close to three o'clock the next morning. Normally, this wouldn't be too much of a problem. However, with Flint's wedding happening at eleven there was a necessity for him to be awake.

As such, when Ollie was the first one to wake up the next morning, he had the appropriate reaction once he saw how late they had all slept in. At first, he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes in fatigue before groaning. "Ugh, god. Dinah would have killed me. Good thing it's not my wedding" he laughed before finally taking a look at the clock.

He blinked a few times, trying to focus on the time before his eyes suddenly widened in fear. "Oh Dinah really is gonna kill me… and Z will probably do worse" he muttered before immediately jumping up from the floor where he was sleeping and running to Flint.

"Flint! Flint, you gotta wake up!" he urged, shaking the sand-based hero roughly.

"Ollie, what the hell man?" Flint groaned before shooting him a glare, although due to his own fatigue it wasn't very intimidating in the least. "Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"

"You can sleep later, you're getting married now!"

"Married? Ollie that's not until eleven…" he trailed off, starting to fall back asleep.

"But its ten now!" Ollie yelled, startling the other men awake. It took the whole group a sum total of two seconds to process what they just heard before they all suddenly jumped to their feet and started rushing around in a panic to get ready.

Even the normally stoic Vic Sage was running around like a madman, hastily taking his mask off as he and the others got dressed and made themselves presentable for the wedding that was quickly sneaking up on them.

"Flint, what time do you need to be there for?" Wally asked, using his speed to get dressed in a second and clean up the apartment.

"I gotta be there at quarter to, just so we can start" Flint said hurriedly, making his final touches to his tux as John looked at the clock.

"You're five minutes early Flint. Made it just in time" he said with a small laugh as Flint gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god. I'll head over, and make sure everything's ready. See you all there" he nodded, as the others wished him luck. "Watchtower, ready for transport"

"This is Ensign Leiber from the orbital watchtower, transporting you in now" a voice replied as Flint fixed his bowtie.

'That was a close one' he thought to himself, sighing in relief before he was teleported to the cathedral for the wedding.

* * *

He arrived in a flash, just inside the doors as he gave a small laugh. "Ha, made it"

"You're late" a baritone voice cut in, startling Flint before he turned to see Bruce Wayne giving him one of his ever present bat-glares.

"Barely. I made it on time" Flint smirked. "With… a minute to spare"

Bruce to his credit, only pinched the bridge of his nose in mild annoyance before nodding. "Well, now that you're here you can go take your place. I assume Wally and the others are not far behind.

"Yeah, they should be here any minute" he nodded before John and the others started teleporting in.

"Lookin' sharp there Flint. Might even draw eyes off of my chiseled form" Ollie joked as Flint rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"I'm sure the bride will be more of a draw than the best man" he scoffed, as Ollie simply smirked.

"For you maybe" he shot back before the two chuckled and walked up to the front of the church, where they were soon joined by the chosen groomsmen; John, Wally, and Clark. As they took their positions, Flint looked out at the slowly growing crowd and smiled at the group that had assembled.

Up in the front, Peter and Karen spoke animatedly with Kara, Courtney, and Ty. All of whom broke their conversation briefly to wave up to Flint. The Ultimen walked in soon after before joining their friends up in the front. Cap and Iron Man were both there, enjoying a conversation with Bruce before they were joined by Carol Danvers and the Fantastic Four, all of whom were eagerly waiting for the festivities to start.

Despite his confusion at such human customs, Amazo had arrived as well, having entered along with Inza, Aquaman, Aquaman's wife Mera, and Kent Nelson, the human guise of Doctor Fate. The rest of the Bat Family had also assembled, including their ever loyal butler Alfred. Aleksei of course, as soon as he had entered, made his way over to where Cynthia Reynolds, aka Gypsy, was waiting for him. Herman watched his larger friend with a knowing smirk, while Vigilante and Vixen joined them, sitting along with Shining Knight. Huntress was there as well, in her civilian guise as Helena Bertinelli sitting next to Vic Sage. Vic had pleaded his case of wanting to stay under his usual faceless mask, but Helena had her way of making sure he didn't. No one was sure what it was, but it was definitely effective. The biggest surprise was seeing that Salamandra had arrived as well, although she would later attest that she came to show her support for Flint as well as thank him once again for his help in defeating the Wizard.

Flint raised a curious eyebrow as he watched her slowly start to engage in a conversation with J'onn, who was initially standing near the door awkwardly before Bruce ushered him in to take his seat. In the back he even thought he saw Morpheus for a second, but he shook his head, probably only seeing something that wasn't there. After a moment, he sighed inwardly before nervously tugging at his bowtie, as though it were suddenly the single greatest discomfort of his life.

"So, you feeling nervous?" Ollie asked, as Flint gave a dry laugh.

"Yeah, I am. I mean, I've never felt more nervous in my life. What if she says no? Or… what if she says yes?" he asked, almost hysterically before Ollie shook his head with a small grin.

"Yep. That's how I felt. What you got to remember is that, while you're nervous about the whole thing, she is too. Heck, she might even be more nervous than you"

"More nervous than me? This is Z we're talking about here" Flint said skeptically.

"True, but if what I've been told about how Dinah felt on our wedding day is any indication, I think it's a pretty safe bet that even Z is nervous"

Flint thought on that for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, yeah you're right. We're both nervous, but we'll both do fine"

"That's the spirit" Ollie grinned.

* * *

"I'm surprised, you're taking this way better than I thought you would" Dinah remarked as she watched Z perform the final touches to her makeup.

"What do you mean?" the magician asked.

"I thought you'd be more nervous than this. The fact that you're not is surprising… and honestly a little alarming"

"Thanks for the support" she snarked as Shayera gave a smirk.

"Oh I'd say she's nervous alright" the Thanagarian warrior teased. "Just look at how she's shaking"

Sure enough, as Zatanna went to touch up her mascara, she found that her right hand was indeed shaking uncontrollably. She groaned in annoyance before handing the brush to Diana. "I am not nervous. Would you mind getting that for me?" she asked the amazon.

"Of course not" she assured her before carefully applying the makeup on her face. "Now, you might not be nervous, but I bet you that Flint certainly is"

"Oh, no doubt he is" Z smirked. "I bet he's having trouble controlling himself up there"

"Makes me wonder how nervous John will be if he ever pops the question" Shayera laughed. "I bet he'll have a breakdown"

"An aneurism more likely" Beatriz chimed in, as she carefully adjusted the braid that her long green hair had been tied back in. She had been the final bridesmaid selected, and was also the most surprising. However, after seeing Wally among Flint's groomsmen, as well as hearing the potential for his reaction upon seeing her in one of the bridesmaid's dresses, she couldn't refuse.

"Are you at least excited? This is a big deal" Dinah questioned as Zatanna suddenly went quiet. She stared at the floor in silent contemplation before a smile slowly spread across her face, and she gave a small nod.

"Yes. I'm more excited than I've ever been in my life" she admitted, before looking at herself in the full-length mirror that was installed in the dressing room. "I just never imagined I'd be here right now"

"No one ever does" Dinah said sagely. "But once you get up there, once you get ready to make those vows, nothing could ever possibly feel more right"

Zatanna gave her a thankful smile before suddenly switching it to her usual smirk. "And that's why you're my maid of honour"

"As long as you're not nervous" Shayera teased again, before Zatanna playfully swatted her arm.

"I am _NOT_ nervous!" she pressed before the door suddenly opened and Keemia stepped inside. The teenage girl was wearing a matching dress to the bridesmaids and a wide grin as she handed Zatanna the bouquet that had just arrived for her.

"Everything's ready to go, and dad looks really nervous, so could we please not drag this out?" she asked as Diana looked at the clock.

"She has a point, it's almost time to start" she remarked as Zatanna nodded.

"Alright, let's go out then" she said before taking a small breath and walking forward. She approached the door, her hand raised to open it before she suddenly froze. The four other women each looked at her curiously before she turned back around, her face considerably paler as she shook her head frantically.

"I can't do this! I can't!" the magician said hysterically as Dinah groaned, rolling her eyes. Shayera simply gave a small shrug.

"Called it"

* * *

After a few more minutes of sudden panic, Keemia stepped out of the room before giving a nod to the organist. They nodded before starting to play, driving everyone else to attention as Keemia went to take her seat. Then, the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle, followed closely by Dinah as the maid of honour.

Finally, Bruce emerged from the entranceway, carefully leading Zatanna down the aisle as all eyes turned to her. Flint simply took one look at her before his mind went blank. She was, in a word, radiant. Absolutely radiant. Her dress was simple but it flowed perfectly. It was paired with a white corset and choker around her neck that bore her famous tie. On top of her head, a veil freely flowed over top of her hair which was perfectly pampered and styled in a Dutch braid. On top of it all was smaller, white version of her usual hat, perched just off to the side of her head.

Zatanna herself was looking around the church, nervously smiling at everyone, until her eyes finally made their way to the front of the cathedral where they met Flint's. In that one instance, suddenly all of her reservations went out the window, and her nervousness disappeared. Once their eyes met each other, they stayed there, with large smiles now adorning their faces.

Bruce and Zatanna finally arrived at the altar, where Bruce left her with a nod before returning to his seats with Alfred and his younger sidekicks. At that, Father McCormick took the opportunity to step forward and begin the ceremony.

From the beginning of the planning, Father McCormick was their choice to preside over the ceremony. He had previously done Ollie and Dinah's wedding, and was one of the few people in Smallville who knew that Superman was secretly Clark Kent. On top of that, he was also one of the few people who knew the secret identities of all the heroes present. Despite his knowledge he still offers to have his memory wiped if anyone wished. Bruce was the only one who ever took him up on that offer.

However, Flint's focus was only on Zatanna, taking in every single detail of her. He wanted to remember this moment for a long time, so he made sure to take in everything. Her hair, her smile, her eyes. Everything to him was just perfect and he couldn't be happier. His thoughts continued uninterrupted until Father McCormick took a moment to look at the two of them.

"Would you please exchange the vows you've made?" he asked as both nodded. Flint cleared his throat nervously before looking at Zatanna as he began.

"I never expected to be here today, to have made it to this point in my life. If you asked me five years ago what the future held, I would have assumed that I'd still be some petty crook. But, I'm glad I was wrong, and I'm glad I could get to this point. Because I love you Zatanna Zatara, and I promise that will never change"

"I can still remember the first time we met in the hotel" Zatanna smiled, starting her own vows. "And from that moment, I knew there was something special about you. Every time we met afterwards, every time we got coffee, every time we beat up Wally's villains because they couldn't stick to their own city; we just grew closer. And after these last few years I can safely say there is nowhere else I'd want to be right now. I evol uoy tnilf okram, dna I syawla lliw" she finished before Father McCormick took over again.

"Flint Marko, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife; in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do" he nodded.

"And do you, Zatanna Zatara, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband; in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do" she said eagerly before the two exchanged their rings.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride" he said happily before Flint and Zatanna finally closed the distance and the hall erupted into cheers. After a few seconds, Flint broke the kiss before smirking.

"So do you regret it yet?" he asked as Zatanna returned the smirk in kind.

"Not on your life"

"Alright enough of the mushy stuff" Wally cut in, a broad grin on his face. "We got an after party to get to!"

At that, Doctor Fate stood before using his magic to transport everyone away to the reception hall to begin their celebration.

* * *

The hall they had chosen looked more like one massive ballroom than anything, with several large tables set around a large dance floor, and a buffet off to one side for everyone to get their meals. The guests all milled around, talking amongst each other while Flint and Zatanna were just off in a side room, getting ready to make their grand entrance.

"Well, they finally did it" Ollie grinned, taking a sip from his gin and tonic. "They finally tied the knot. I still say they were waiting for us first" he smirked to Dinah.

"Well to be fair, you two were the more obvious target" John cut in, as Shayera clung to his arm.

"Makes you wonder who's gonna be the next couple" Ollie mused.

"I'm betting anything that It's gonna be Clark and Lois. They've been dancing around each other like lovesick teenagers for so long" Dinah offered, while Shayera shook her head.

"Nah, I don't think so"

"Oh really? And who do you think it's gonna be?" John asked, bemused.

"I want to say you, but if we're being realistic, Bruce and Diana" she smirked.

John blushed faintly at that, trying to stammer out his next words before Wally walked over with Beatriz. "Any idea what's keeping them? I mean I wouldn't put it past Z to start the honeymoon early" the speedster laughed only for all three women to cuff him upside the head.

"Knowing them, I'd bet they just want to make one big damn entrance" Ollie laughed, before Clark finally entered back into the room, stepping up onto the stage with a microphone in his hand. He tapped the mic, getting everyone's attention before smiling.

"Thank you all for coming, I know there's a dinner you're all excited for so I'll keep this brief" he offered to some light chuckling. "I now present to you, the second Married couple of the Justice League, Flint and Zatanna Marko!" he introduced before the eponymous couple walked out onto the stage to much fanfare.

"You're really hamming it up there Super-Chief" Flint snarked as Clark simply smirked in response.

"Now, before we can go on, there's one last order of business to attend to; the bouquet"

Clark had barely finished speaking before the women in the crowd immediately rushed forward, eager to catch it. Z smirked before holding the bouquet above them teasingly. "Alright, but first some rules. I don't want anyone using their powers to catch it alright? No flight, no super-speed, and especially no magic" she said seriously before turning around so her back was to the crowd. Then, after making them wait for a few more seconds, she tossed the bouquet over her head to the crowd.

The women in the crowd all scrambled to grab the bouquet, as the flowers bounced and rolled off of the tips of their fingers. Finally, after a few more lingering seconds someone finally managed to grasp the bouquet.

"I got it!" Karen said happily before raising it above her head in victory.

"You just got lucky" Kara grumbled to herself before Clark took the microphone again.

"Alright, now for the garter"

At that, Zatanna simply held out her hand. "Ecalp ym retrag ni ym dnah" she spoke, before her garter magically appeared in her left hand and she handed it over to Flint.

"Alright guys, same rules as before" Flint nodded as the bachelors took the place of the women. "No powers, and no using your tech. That means no web-shooters, and no hidden jets Tony!"

Stark looked at him before smirking. "Fine, could someone get me my other shoes" he joked.

Johnny Storm grinned as he nudged Peter playfully with his elbow. "Hey Pete, that garter is gonna be mine"

"You sure about that?" Peter laughed, folding his arms. "I wouldn't put it past you to cheat to catch it"

"Aw come on, you know me. I don't have to cheat for this. I'll catch it without even trying" he said boastfully, before Peter's Spider-Sense suddenly alerted him to an incoming projectile. He raised his arm quickly before catching the object, only afterwards did he realize that it was the garter.

He blinked in surprise, then turned to look at Johnny with a smirk. Johnny simply looked at the garter in his hand, dumbfounded. "Beat you to it hot-head"

Before Johnny could retort however, Karen suddenly hugged Peter from behind, a large smirk plastered on her face. "So, looks like we're the lucky couple for next time" she teased, Peter's face suddenly turning a dark shade of crimson.

Now, Johnny bore the smirk as he watched his best-friend turn a shade of red to match his infamous costume. "She's got you there web-head"

"Heh, alright everyone" Clark announced, attracting everyone's attention once more. "You've had your fun. Now onto more important matters; the cake" he grinned before John and Wally carefully wheeled out a large wedding cake.

"Damn, I forgot how large we ordered it" Flint mused before Zatanna seemed to frown.

"Except we didn't" she reminded him. Suddenly everyone was one high alert as they watched the cake with expectantly. Some reached into their pockets to pull out their usual masks they had brought with them.

After a few more seconds, the cake shook on the table before the top burst open, suddenly revealing the dastardly villain known as; the Condiment King.

"Behold, the most dangerous confectionary mastermind on the planet!" he boasted before aiming his ketchup and mustard guns at the crowd. "Now, hand over your valuables and I shall let you leave… unharmed"

It was at that moment, he finally noted the masks that they were wearing, as well as some of the heroes among the crowd. Green Arrow… Batman… The Flash… each face he recognized only sent more and more fear into him. Then, he finally laid eyes on the happy couple.

"Wasn't crashing our first date enough?" Flint asked the villain rhetorically before looking at Zatanna. "Go easy on him, okay?"

"Define easy"

"Only one broken limb" he clarified.

She glared daggers at the villain as her scowl only deepened. "No promises"

* * *

Thanks to the wonderfully fair and organized technique of drawing straws, it was decided that Clark would be the lucky man to deliver Condiment King to the hospital. No one else had to put in any effort, and Zatanna didn't even need to use any magic. Just a wooden spoon and the knowledge that he crashed and almost ruined her wedding night.

'Makes you wonder just what he expected to happen when he arrived' Flint mused with a laugh before returning to the present moment. With their cake currently ruined by the unexpected arrival, the heroes had decided to take to dancing a little earlier than planned.

Despite the interruption, things had returned to their typical joyfulness as the various couples too to the dancefloor with each other; John with Shayera, Bruce with Diana, Wally with Beatriz, Oliver with Dinah, Courtney with Ty (Pat keeping a watchful eye on them, much to Courtney's ire), Peter with Karen, and many more all danced close, with smiles on their faces. Even the ones that weren't dancing were enjoying themselves. Vic's own insistence that he had two left feet left him and Helena free enough to talk quietly, although her occasional laughs kept breaking through. Even J'onn had taken a moment to resume his earlier conversation with Salamandra, the wearing almost uncharacteristic smiles.

However, none of the happy couples came close to the amount of joy that Flint and Zatanna currently held for each other, and for the moment. The two truly were lost in their own little world, as the music drew slower, and Zatanna rested her head against Flint's chest.

"This day was absolutely perfect" the sighed contentedly.

"Even with the idiot trying to crash it?" he asked snidely.

She seemed to take a moment to consider it, before shrugging as best she could. "Well hitting him certainly felt good"

Flint had to chuckle at that, shaking his head wistfully before staring down at her. "Well, honestly this has been a pretty perfect night. And I'm glad that I could spend it with you"

"Well you gotta admit, it's a little hard to get married without a bride" she snarked.

"Yeah, that's true. But still, I'm glad I could be here right now to have it. I still don't understand why you said yes to that date all those years ago" he mused.

"We already got coffee a few times before, and you seemed to have enough sarcasm in you to almost match my unreal cynicism. It only made sense that we were a match made in heaven"

"Can't argue with that"

Soon after, the song drew to a close, and Zatanna broke apart for a moment so that she could go and talk with Dinah and Shayera. Flint was more than happy to let her go, because it gave him the opportunity to have a dance with Keemia.

Keemia seemed to be the only person who was smiling broader than he and Zatanna were. The minute the father-daughter duo began their dance, she couldn't help but go on and on about how beautiful the wedding was, or about how she teared up at their vows.

"It was just fantastic" she continued to gush before giving a small smile. "And you two look so perfect together"

"I appreciate that kiddo, I really do" he nodded. "And I hope you can get used to the idea of Z being your step-mother" he continued before frowning. "I know she can't ever replace Alma, and I know you miss her. Hell, I miss her every day, but I at least want you to give her a fair shot"

She nodded at that. "I know, and I definitely do miss her. But I wear my name with pride. She gave it to me, it's how I honour her. Besides, you're happy. I really like Z too. I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready to call her mom, but I am definitely fond of the idea" she said before grinning wider. "And for what it's worth… I'm proud of you daddy"

"Thanks Keemia that means a lot" he nodded. "So, is this the first wedding you've been to?"

"Yep. But I hope it isn't the last. It was so much fun!"

"Yeah, but don't you go getting any ideas here. It may be fun, but I'm not letting you get married until you're at least thirty-five" he teased.

"Ugh, dad!" she groaned, while Courtney and Ty danced just next to them.

"I know the feeling" the blonde sympathized.

"Hands where I can see them!"

"Pat!" she screeched to her step-father before storming off to get some punch, a blushing Ty not far behind her.

Flint and Keemia both laughed at that, before Keemia went off to go talk with Kara and Barbara. Flint nodded, placing his hands in his pockets before walking over to where John, Wally, and Oliver were waiting for him.

"Well, nice to see you could escape the never ending trap of the dancefloor for a while" John greeted.

"I will admit, it was hard to escape. No one short of Batman's willpower could do that" Flint laughed.

"You might wanna think again. Bruce and Diana still haven't stopped dancing since they started" Wally pointed out. Sure enough, the billionaire playboy and the Amazonian princess were still dancing where they had started, nearly forty minutes ago.

"You know, I think Shayera might be winning the bet after all" John stated with a laugh before all four men chuckled heartily.

"Yeah I guess so. Anyways, it really means a lot to have you guys here" Flint nods.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world" Ollie assured him. "Still, sorry again about the cake. No idea how that mix-up happened"

"Maybe he intended to be at another wedding and simply got in the wrong truck?" John suggested.

"Could be. I gotta tell you though, if he does anything to interrupt our honeymoon I don't think he'll survive his next encounter with Z" Flint half-joked. In all honesty, he really did fear for the villain's health if he attempted anything of the sort in the future.

"Speaking of which" Wally smirked, changing the subject. "What sort of plans do you two have for your honeymoon anyway? Tahiti? Bermuda? I heard Hawai'i is nice this time of year"

"Nah, Z actually wants to go skiing up in the mountains, so we're heading to Switzerland for a week. We might even tour around Germany while we're in Europe. It's not that far a drive from where we'll be staying anyway"

"Keemia's going to be staying at home I take it?" John asked.

"Actually she'll be in Gotham, Barbara offered to let her stay at her place for a while"

"You mean old Gordon wasn't suspicious of Barbara offering to have her stay?" Wally asked, knowing full well what the aging commissioner was like.

"Technically Babs has her own apartment now. Even if she didn't, how hard would it be to say that Keemia's parents were going on a honeymoon and she needed a place to stay?" Flint shrugged.

"Guess you got a point there" Wally conceded before Herman strode over, clapping Flint on the back with a laugh.

"Well Sandy, I gotta hand it to ya, you really made it" the former rogue grinned.

"Thanks Herman, glad to see you could make it. Where's Aleksei at?" Flint asked.

"Oh, he's over dancing with Cynthia I think" Herman said, remembering something about seeing his larger friend dancing with Cynthia Reynolds, otherwise known as the Justice League member Gypsy.

"Well you know what, I'm happy for him. They look like a nice couple" Flint nodded. "That reminds me, anyone catch your eye while you're here?"

"Nah, not yet. I mean, I haven't really looked. But even if I did, can't say any of the girls here are my type" Herman shrugged.

"Well, if you could take anyone for a date right now, who would it be?" Oliver asked as the other three looked to him in interest. Herman thought on that for a moment before shrugging.

"Giganta, easy"

"Giganta?!" John exclaimed in surprise, while Wally choked on his drink and Ollie simply stared at him in shock.

"Only you Herman, only you" Flint sighed with a laugh.

Wally took a moment to regain his composure before looking past Flint's shoulder with a smile. "Hey Flint, I think Z wants one last dance before we call it a night"

Sure enough, the scarlet speedster was right as Flint turned to see Zatanna, beckoning him back to the dancefloor for one last slow dance.

"I think I can do that" he nodded before nodding to his friends and heading back to Z's side. "Had a good talk with the girls?"

"Yep. Shayera took one look at Bruce and Diana and declared that she 'won the bet'. Any idea what she means by that?"

"I think I might" he nodded before explaining to her. Z simply laughed in response, shaking her head.

"Of course she would say that" she sighed with a smile. "I think I can safely say this was the best night of my life"

"I can agree to that" Flint nodded before the two leaned in for one last kiss. However, before they could, J'onn suddenly stopped the music as everyone turned to look at him, voicing their own complaints.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, but I have received word from Leiber on the Watchtower, that Penguin is currently holding up a cargo ship down at the waterfront with some other villains. It's just a small group, so only two Leaguers, three tops"

The room assembled stared for a moment before Z shook her head.

"No way. If they didn't learn the first time to stay out our city, they're learning now. Everyone, in costume"

* * *

"Well, the first attempt didn't work. But, with a little perseverance, I think it's safe to say that Team Penguin will emerge victorious tonight!" Penguin cackled. Firefly, Killer Croc, Ragdoll, and Killer Moth simply nodded in agreement as they looked at the large crates of gold stacked in front of them.

"I gotta admit Penguin, this might have been a better idea than joining that Secret Society" Croc conceded.

"Of course it was! That's why no Gothamite villain has bothered to join that stupid monkey. Now, let's hurry up and get this money out of here before that Sandman shows up" Penguin urged.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me" Flint called, and all five villains sighed before turning around resignedly. However, they soon wished that they didn't as they instead came face to face with every assembled member of the Justice League, as well as some heroes that they didn't recognize. However, at the centre of it all was a smug looking Sandman with his arm wrapped around the waist of a thoroughly frustrated Zatanna.

"I thought Condiment King was bad enough. Guess I have to show you idiots the hard way what happens when you crash my wedding night!" the magician seethed.

The villains stared in surprise before Croc raised his hands in surrender.

"You're on your own Penguin" the large reptilian said before running off, with Ragdoll, Firefly, and Moth all close behind him. Penguin watched his retreating allies before turning back to the heroes with a nervous laugh.

"Ahem…. Shall we call it a draw? Heh-heh…." He laughed nervously before frowning. "Aw crap"

* * *

 **And done!**

 **This was definitely fun to write, a nice little breather chapter.**

 **As a nice bonus, Z said part of her vows backwards. Why? So magic could bond their union of course.**

 **And Condiment King, oh poor fucking Condiment King. The guy can't catch a break can he?**

 **Well, next time we return to the Society arc, albeit with another original chapter. As a present to my friend Dion ComicWiz, it's time for the Shade to get a chance to shine, and Sandman will meet the legendary Justice Society!**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	31. The Dark Before the Light

**Well that was a longer hiatus than I intended.**

 **Hello everyone! And thank you all once again for tuning in to my fic! I apologize for the wait. With the return of my university, as well as the additions of work and writer's block, it left me with not a lot of time to write. However, I'm back and with a new original chapter.**

 **This one was a difficult chapter to write, but a fun challenge. It's based off of an idea posed to me by my friend Dion ComicWiz. After he gave it to me, I knew I couldn't refuse. However, in pulling from the recommended sources I had to be fairly creative and liberal in terms of how I composed it. I was pulling from three major sources after all; Justice League Unlimited, The Justice Society comics, and the Starman comic by James Robinson (one of my favourite comics, and an absolutely fantastic read. Highly recommended).**

 **I wanted to find a way to blend all three in a creative way to help with the development of the JSA and the Shade. For the JSA, it needs to explain why they aren't exactly common knowledge or mentioned in JLU (Not an easy task). For the Shade, I need to define his backstory in this universe more to his backstory from the Starman series. Both cases were hard, but I think I did okay.**

 **In addition there is a stinger for the sequel! So, extra fun all around.**

 **For now, review time!:**

 **TerrorKing10: You know me so well**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Thanks again for the kind words! Nice to know you enjoyed the Stan Lee cameo. As for Giganta... that will become more clear later ;) I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations and the hype built for it. No pressure there right? Seriously though, I really hope you enjoy it. I worked hard on it, and I'm proud of what I came up with.**

 **Thanks all for the great reviews, and be sure to leave even more in the future!**

 **And now, for a disclaimer:**

 **I own NOTHING. The Justice League, Justice Society, Spear of Longinus/Destiny, the Shade, Starman, and all associated characters are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel. Please support the official releases!**

 **And now, on to the show! Dion, this is for you bud!**

* * *

As much as Lex Luthor would hate to admit it, Grodd's new Legion of Doom was so far a remarkable success. Their jobs almost never failed, and thanks to Grodd's own meddling, any one of the fools who was stupid enough to get captured by the heroes was incapable of revealing any secrets. Luthor himself had a stable role in the group, augmenting and upgrading all of the technology at their disposal. This proved especially useful for some of the more laughable villains, who up to that point were largely considered jokes. Yes, things were looking good. However there was one problem.

Lex Luthor was bored.

Despite the high success rate, and the multitude of work he had to do, Luthor was finding himself to be missing a challenge. The only thing keeping him in this group any longer was the simple fact that he desperately needed that piece of Brainiac. As much as he'd hate to admit it, he almost missed Blackhawk Island, if only for the intellectual challenge it provided for him.

"Luthor, how are the current upgrades coming?" the baritone voice of Grodd asked, as the large ape entered the room. Tala of course was draped to his side in an almost sickeningly pathetic manner.

" _Just humour him. We still require his assistance_ " Brainiac reminded him as Luthor took a breath to steel himself before he answered.

"So far so good. I've made Heatwave's gun more energy efficient so he doesn't waste as much fuel, and I should have the upgrades to Goldface's armour done within the hour" he answered with a shrug.

Grodd nodded, satisfied with what he heard. "Excellent work Lex. You're really helping to turn the tide for us. It won't be long now until our greatest victory is at hand"

"Yes" Luthor sneered, inwardly rolling his eyes. "Now is there anything else you needed or can I get back to work?"

"Actually there is" Grodd said before frowning. "I've noticed that the Shade seems to be particularly interested in the artifact you retrieved from Blackhawk Island" he continued, referencing the Spear of Longinus that Luthor had successfully stolen with the help of The Key and Doctor Polaris.

"The Shade? You believe he's going to steal it?" he asked, now interested in the possibility.

"Almost, but even then not quite. He seems more… contemplative. Almost as though it stirs his thoughts in some way" Grodd continued, puzzling Luthor further.

"I have seen this firsthand myself. It is both confusing and alarming at the same time. If he were to try and steal it, that could damage Grodd's plans, and we can't have that happening" Tala said seriously.

"So you want me to try and catch him in the act?" Luthor asked.

"Just keep an eye on him. If he does attempt to steal it, I'm sure you'll be more than able to stop him. But for now, perhaps you should move your work into the study so you can keep an eye on it" Grodd recommended before exiting with Tala. Luthor considered this for a moment.

After a minute, he packed up his tools before moving the armour he was working on into the study. At first, nothing happened and so he continued his work. However, after a half hour, he could see the Shade from the corner of his eye.

'Time to see what he finds so interesting' he thought to himself. "Does the Spear of Longinus interest you Mr. Swift?" Luthor asked, startling the villain.

"Oh, no… it just…" The villain started before cupping his chin in frustration. "It seems familiar to me somehow"

"It should, you pass by it every day when you walk through this hallway" Lex smirked as the villain shook his head.

"It's probably nothing" Shade said before bidding a hasty retreat. Luthor made a note of that before returning to his work. 'He seems on edge. Grodd was probably right, as much as I'd hate to admit that the monkey was right about anything'

Luthor had once again returned to his work before he was interrupted sometime later. However, it wasn't the Shade. Instead it was someone else… someone Luthor did not expect.

He was in the middle of repairing a gauntlet when a smooth, cultured voice caught his attention. "Remarkable isn't it? The Spear of Longinus, or as those from my time would call it, The Spear of Destiny"

Luthor knew the owner of that voice from reputation alone, and so didn't need to turn to know it was Vandal Savage. Savage was one of the villains to have turned down Grodd's offer, and as such he was considered to be a dangerous wildcard. He had the money and the power to shut down the whole operation, so to see him in this base, and without any indication that he was previously there, was alarming.

"Vandal Savage" Luthor said, turning to face the immortal. "I must admit, I am surprised to see you here. I thought you rejected Grodd's offer"

"I did. However, there is something here that I require for my own plans" Savage said, continuing to stare at the spear.

"You intend to steal the Spear of Longinus? I can't imagine why you would have any interest in it"

"I should have interest in it. After all, I witnessed its creation" he said calmly, before turning to Luthor. "Can you imagine the blood of God himself, empowering such a weapon? Can you imagine the look on Hitler's face when I gave it to him?"

Luthor simply narrowed his eyes. "What are you playing at here Savage? You can't just be here for the Spear"

"Right again Mr. Luthor. In fact, I am here for you" he revealed. "You see, while Grodd might have some powerful allies in his cabal here, there are some major players that are missing. The Queen of Bialya, the Head of the Demon, the Lord of Chaos. All incredibly powerful players with vast resources. So why aren't they here?" he asked rhetorically. "Simply put, they work for me"

"And you want me to join you?" Luthor scoffed. "The only reason I'm working for the monkey is because I need that piece of Brainiac he has"

"I can offer you something far better than that Mr. Luthor" Savage smiled. "I can give you back your company, and your reputation. I can restore you to your power before you were possessed by the computer Brainiac" he said, Luthor's eyes widening in surprise. "Consider it a fallback plan for you. I'm going to restore your reputation whether you join us or not"

"But why would you do that? You'd just be empowering a rival" Luthor questioned, seemingly considering the possibility.

"My plans require you to be back to your former glory" Savage answered simply. "Your joining me would have twofold responsibility however"

"Those being?"

"First one is simple, funding. My organization already has more than enough resources, but one could always use more money. Second is that I could always use another mole in Grodd's organization"

"Another? You mean you already have someone on the inside here?" Luthor asked.

"Yes I do, however I am not at leisure to reveal this unless you join us"

Luthor frowned to himself, now seriously considering the offer. Even if it proved to be a mistake, he could always reveal the mole to Grodd in exchange for a higher reward. And if it did work out, he could always use it as a way to get back at Grodd for the extortion. Finally, he sighed. "I won't say I'll join you right away. However, I will allow you to take your Spear without any trouble. There's already an alibi for its disappearance after all" he smirked.

Savage nodded in approval as he took the Spear from the wall. "I thank you for your generosity Mr. Luthor, and for your willingness to consider my offer" he said as a black portal suddenly swirled behind him. "I hope that the next time we meet, you will join me." he finished before walking through the portal with the Spear before the swirling vortex disappeared.

Luthor smirked to himself before grasping a communicator and briefly rehearsing what he was going to say. Then, he pressed the button. "Grodd, its Luthor. Shade was more prepared than we realized. He enabled an EMP shut down all my weapons before blacking out the room and taking the Spear!"

After a few seconds, there was an answer. "Understood Lex, I shall inform the others of this mutiny and attempt to stop him. Thank you for your help in this matter"

Lex looked at the communicator, then to the empty mount on the wall where the Spear used to hang. Then, he gave a loud bellowing laugh. "Imbecile"

* * *

On the other side of the portal, Savage reappeared in a dark room before looking at the Spear in his hand with a smirk. "Hmph, you would think the League would have made a bigger fuss over this theft. But no matter, I almost regret giving it to a man such as yourself" he lamented before handing the Spear over to a figure who stepped from the shadows.

He wore a purple and black outfit, with a bizarre white helmet on his head. In the center of the helmet, above his eyes, there appeared a purple circle, almost like a jewel. The bottom half of the man's face was exposed and he smirked triumphantly as he took the spear, his pencil thin mustache twitching up in amusement.

"I'm sure you do. But thanks to you, I can now have my revenge on the Justice Society of America by killing their successors. Can you imagine those pathetic old men seeing their trusted allies fall to my hand?" he laughed before leaving. Savage watched the man for a moment longer before he turned to the center of the room, where four large TV screens suddenly turned on.

The screens held four faces, however, they were each blacked out so no one could tell their identity. "Are you sure giving him the Spear was wise?" one of the figures asked.

"I am. Thinker is more than capable of putting together a team of villains. He would not only keep our own organization safe, but also Grodd's. After all, Grodd is still our best alibi" Savage commented.

"That reminds me" another figure started. "Just after the theft, Luthor alerted Grodd to the Spear's disappearance by implicating the Shade. Shade has now fled the Legion, however he was beaten quite thoroughly before he could"

"I should imagine so. Quite a few of Grodd's allies are rather powerful" Savage nodded. "But even then, despite their power and their resources, they will soon come to see themselves beneath all our collective heels"

* * *

As far as days went, this one was busier than normal. The normally bustling Watchtower was now rather empty. Even the Metro Tower far below was emptier than usual. Simply put, large numbers of the League were out on missions. Superman and Green Lantern were in deep space, Batman was patrolling Gotham on his day off, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl were currently helping Supergirl with a villain attack in Metropolis, and Flint…

Flint had just returned from his honeymoon.

After enjoying a rather enjoyable break in the Swiss Alps, he was back and ready to return to the gruelling life of being a hero. Luckily, the second he arrived on the Watchtower, Flash was over to his side for details.

"Welcome back to Olympus!" the speedster greeted. "So how was the honeymoon? Have fun skiing?"

"I gotta admit, I never skied before, but it wasn't too bad at all. Didn't crash nearly as many times as I thought I would" he mused with a shrug. In reality, he just hadn't crashed into any trees. He still flew down the slope in a tumbling ball of flailing limbs and profanities. "Touring around Europe was pretty nice too. And the ski lodge had a hot tub overlooking the mountains. That was an unbelievable view"

"Wow, I can imagine. Was the lodging nice?"

"That bed was the most comfortable thing I've ever felt. It makes my mattress at home feel like a damn rock"

"Get lots of sleep then?"

Flint blinked, staring blankly at his friend. That bed was used for anything but sleep. "Yes, yes I did"

The speedster luckily didn't notice his hesitance in answering, or the monotone voice he gave his answer in. Instead, he simply clapped Flint on the shoulder with a broad grin on his face. "That's good to hear. Because for the next little while it's back to the old grind. Thankfully, I have a nice little break from the action so we can at least get some food before we start"

Unfortunately, his hopeful offer was dashed as Martian Manhunter suddenly contacted him over his communicator. "Flash, get to the teleporters immediately. Rhino and Booster Gold require your assistance with a prison riot at Belle Revve"

"Belle Revve huh? Sounds pretty serious" Flint said, folding his arms as Wally seemed to deflate.

"I'll be right there J'onn" Wally groaned, before turning to Flint again. "We will have to get some food when we're done though" and with that, he departed quickly.

"Poor guy. At least I get a break for a bit… and I just jinxed myself didn't I?" he asked rhetorically.

"Yes you did Mr. Marko. I have need of your assistance" the voice of Dr. Fate echoed as the sorcerer supreme floated up from behind.

Flint gave a small sigh, before reluctantly turning to face the sorcerer. "What can I do for you Doc?"

"There is a mission I would appreciate your assistance on" Fate explained. "If you will come with me, I shall explain on the way" he said before leading Flint down the hall.

"So what's the situation?"

"I believe I have discovered the mastermind behind the theft of the Spear of Longinus" Dr. Fate revealed. In the wake of Blackhawk Island, Shayera had rather adamantly lead a search for the stolen artifact. Not only was it of great sentimental value to the Blackhawks, but according to Zatanna it was an incredibly powerful magical artifact. Every sorcerer or magician in the League was fearful of what it could do in the wrong hands.

"Well, who is it then? Not Luthor, clearly"

"No. It appears that Lex Luthor was simply hired, alongside the Key and Doctor Polaris, to assist a villain known as the Thinker in retrieving the Spear" Fate continued. "As for why Luthor should help him, it was simple repayment for rescuing him from the police custody he was in"

Flint mulled the possibility over in his head before nodding. "Yeah, that does make sense. So, you're sending me to retrieve it and stop the Thinker? Like some infiltration right?"

"Not quite" Fate said, shaking his head. "Instead you shall be joining the current successors of the Justice Society of America in retrieving it. They were the first on hand I called, since they are the most familiar with the Thinker"

Flint then took notice of the three heroes Dr. Fate had led him to. The first was a man in a grey hood and cloak, a yellow jumpsuit underneath with an hourglass on the front. His mask covered his whole head and was a dark burgundy. This was Rick Tyler, alias the Hourman, and son of the original Hourman Rex Tyler. Next was a man in a black and red outfit, a green cape, and with green goggles on his face. Down the front of his suit there were several small crescent moons. This was Pieter Cross, who had taken on the mantle of Doctor Mid-Nite after the original, Charles McNider, had passed away. The final member of the three wore a one piece suit, with cat ears and a muzzle. His hands were wrapped up to the elbows in boxing wraps, and his mouth held a cocky smirk. This was Ted Grant, Wildcat. Unlike the other two, he was the original owner of the title, still fighting hard even at his old age.

Flint was never quite sure what to make of these three individuals. Hourman and Doctor Mid-Nite always seemed to work together, and kept to themselves most of the time, only ever talking with Dr. Fate or Wildcat. Wildcat in particular was more sociable, having a rather healthy paternal relationship with Black Canary. However, he was also eager to get into fights, and had taken part in an underground fighting ring called Meta-Brawl multiple times before Green Arrow stopped him by faking his own death.

"Is everyone ready?" Fate asked as Wildcat grinned wide.

"Darn right. Can't wait to beat some sense back into the Thinker" he laughed, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

"You aren't the least bit worried that he has the Spear of Longinus with him?" Flint asked as the other three looked at him in surprise before turning to glare at Dr. Fate.

"You never told us that part Kent" Hourman glowered.

"I was hoping that you would be able to keep him from using the Spear as I called upon one last person to help us. He will be the one to take the Spear to safety"

"And who exactly is this mysterious figure?" Wildcat scoffed.

"That will be revealed once he arrives. For now, we cannot waste any more time. Go, and stop the Thinker quickly!" Fate said before conjuring a portal and sending the four heroes away in a burst of light.

* * *

The quartet would reappear, far from the Watchtower where they were now standing outside of a museum. Specifically the Opal City museum. Flint was the first to take notice of their new surroundings as he took a cursory glance around them.

"Alright, this is a new city for me. Any of you know where we are?"

"Yep. Welcome to Opal City kid, the home of the JSA" Wildcat nodded, folding his arms.

"And this is where the Thinker is supposed to be?"

"It makes sense" Doctor Mid-Nite reasoned, cupping his chin thoughtfully. "After all, Thinker was a frequent opponent of the JSA. Makes sense that he would pull off this plot in the heart of their old operation"

"You keep mentioning the Justice Society. How come I never heard about them until now?" Flint asked skeptically as the four started to walk towards the museum.

"That's an easy one" Hourman mused. "It's because they disbanded years ago"

"The Society was a basically your proto Justice League. We formed back in the forties to fight crimes in the wake of the war. We built up our own Rogue's gallery as well. Since then, the titles have sort of become legacies. Rick and Pieter are examples of that" Wildcat continued. "They disbanded back in the sixties when one of their own died. Originally there were seven of us; me, Hourman, Doctor Mid-Nite, Dr. Fate, Ted Knight who was the original Starman, Wesley Dodds who was our own Sandman, and finally Dinah's mother, and the original Black Canary"

"There was already a Sandman here?" Flint asked in surprise.

"Yep. Though he was different from you" Hourman confirmed. "He used a special pistol that fired a knockout gas, and was more like the Question. He was killed back in the sixties by one of our older villains. We disbanded not long after that"

"But you keep the titles going?"

"We do. Mostly out of our own duty to it. Rick is wearing his father's mantle of course, and Kent has been the same Dr. Fate since back then. Magic does some great things for your health after all. But for the most part, we three are the only ones who really uphold the legacy of the JSA"

"It's kind of a shame" Mid-Nite added sombrely. "But at the end of the day, I suppose it's not all bad. Makes us closer"

Flint nodded at that as they entered the building. "So why would we be the ones sent to deal with the Thinker? If he has the Spear of Longinus, we might need some heavier artillery"

"He may have the Spear, but very few have actually known how to use it" Mid-Nite clarified. "Kent might be holding onto the hope that he uses the Spear only for intimidation, not yet knowing how to utilise its power"

"Do you buy that?" Flint snorted.

"Not really. But it gives us some mild hope" Wildcat chuckled before turning to Mid-Nite. "Can you see anything that might tell us where he is?"

Mid-Nite closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, they glowed a light green. In the dark of the night, everything was revealed to him as he noticed a pair of footprints. "There. It's going into the JSA wing of the Museum"

"You guys have your own Museum exhibit too?" Flint said in surprise.

"Yep. Of course, so does the Flash" Hourman laughed before the four heroes entered the Hall of the JSA. Inside there were mannequins that bore their original costumes, as well as various weapons and artifacts retrieved from villains. Newspaper clippings filled glass cabinets, and at the centre of it all was a picture of the original team in its glory days. Flint looked it in wonder, taking in the history of it all.

"Wow…" he muttered.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" Mid-Nite asked, stepping up behind Flint.

"Yeah, but I was referring more to Dinah's mother. Seriously, they look identical" he said with a laugh as the others chuckled.

"Yeah, none of that's lost on us" Wildcat grinned. "She really is her mother"

"Especially in temper" Hourman chimed in before all four broke into good-natured laughter. However, their laughter was soon joined by a new voice. A new, more sinister voice.

"I had hoped to have gathered more of the Justice Society's successors… But I suppose I could always fix that later" Thinker said, standing at the top of a staircase across the hall.

"Alright Thinker, let's make this a little quicker than usual" Wildcat said, idly cracking his knuckles again. "We got places to be"

At this, Thinker smirked before suddenly letting loose a bellowing laugh. "Please. This will be far from similar to our last encounter" he said before revealing in his hand, the Spear of Longinus. "After all, it was by my design that Dr. Fate brought you here"

"Oh great. It's a trap" Flint said with a grimace as Thinker raised the Spear, pointing it right at Flint.

"Indeed. This Spear can control the minds and bodies of metahumans. I wanted the successors of the original JSA brought together by Dr. Fate, under the pretence of stopping me. Then I could destroy you all at once! Hourman, Wildcat, Doctor Mid-Nite, and the Sandman all gone" the villain mused.

"Last I checked, I didn't know Wesley Dodds. Hell, today is the first time I heard about the JSA" Flint said, watching the villain carefully.

"Well you're the closest I can get to the real thing, so you'll have to do. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait longer for Starman and the Canary, but I suppose that's the sacrifice we all make" he said, before quickly dodging a mannequin thrown at him by Wildcat. "You dare?!"

"We beat you once you blowhard, and we'll do it again" Wildcat smirked, rolling his shoulder as he got ready for a fight. Hourman quickly swallowed one of his pills, while Flint formed his trusty mallets, and Doctor Mid-Nite got in a ready stance.

"Fools. You defeated me before, but now will be different. Now I have the Spear, and nothing will stop me! I am invincible!" he declared before pointing the Spear back at the group. Suddenly, an ethereal energy emanated from the Spear before Flint suddenly found his body moving on its own.

"Uh… guys?" he said before one of his mallets immediately swung into Hourman, tossing him into a glass display case. The other two barely had time to react before he swung again. Mid-Nite jumped back while Wildcat rolled to the side.

"What the hell are you doin' sand for brains?" Wildcat barked before Thinker descended the staircase slowly.

"That would be my doing. You see, the Spear of Longinus holds the ability to control the minds and bodies of metahumans" he explained, his eyes having taken a yellow tint as he gave a sinister grin.

"Oh that ain't good" Flint grimaced before suddenly his arms each split in two, producing two new arms. The four limbs then turned into their own individual blades as the other heroes suddenly went on the defensive. "I am so sorry for this" he apologized.

"So, how do we stop a Sandman?" Mid-Nite asked as Hourman returned to their side.

"Something tells me he won't be as easy as Wesley" the hooded hero stated plainly before Flint charged forwards again.

* * *

Richard Swift, despite his successful escape, was not in a healthy state. Thanks to Grodd's command, he was quickly tracked and beaten by the other villains. The ape accused him of stealing the Spear of Longinus from the wall. Of course when he tried to explain that he didn't, Grodd didn't believe him, and had the other villains attack him. It was only due to his cane and his own quick thinking that he had managed to escape.

That's where he was left now; standing in an alleyway, clutching his bruised ribs as he stumbled to the ground behind a dumpster. "Ugh… god that Shark hits like a damn truck" he groaned, referring to how King Shark had managed to deliver a particularly vicious punch right to his solar plexus. He was certain that at least two of his ribs were broken.

Slowly setting himself up to lean against the wall before giving a sigh of defeat. "Great. The League will only be coming after me, the rest of the Legion I'm sure is gonna be doing the same. Where can I go now?"

"Perhaps I can help you with that Mr. Swift" a voice called before a large purple ankh materialised in the air, revealing Dr. Fate.

"Oh great, you've found me already" Shade said with a groan. "Can you at least make this quick… and relatively less painful?"

Fate regarded the fallen villain for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm sorry to see you in this state Mister Swift… but the Justice Society has need for your assistance again"

"Again?" he asked before shaking his head. "Wait, what's the Justice society?" he asked before suddenly grasping his head in pain. Unknown to Grodd, or anyone else for that matter, the real reason he continued to stare at the Spear was because of the headaches it gave him. Every time he saw it, he would receive a sudden throbbing pain. Every time however, it would give him visions. Images of people and places and battles. Things that he had never seen, at least that he couldn't remember ever seeing. Every time it happened, he wanted to see more. And now, with the mere mention of the Justice Society, more of these images suddenly flashed through his mind.

"The block is still in your mind I see"

"What block? What happened to me?" the Shade asked, looking at the sorcerer with renewed interest.

"Many years ago, you placed a block in your mind. You simply wished to enjoy where you had found yourself in life. You are an immortal man Richard, and you spent years travelling the world and doing wondrous things" he revealed. "You were a masterful thief and thrill seeker, your shadow powers lending you a great many talents"

"Shadows… you mean from my cane?" he asked.

"No… the cane is a crutch. Your true power comes from within. You do not need the cane, your mental block simply makes you believe you do"

The rogue was now listening, completely enraptured. "So… what made me stop?"

"It was many years ago, Vandal Savage had given the Spear of Longinus to the axis powers during World War Two. You were once a free spirited man. But with the tide turning in the favour of Hitler, you forsook your anonymity and your lack of an allegiance. And you joined the fight" Fate began. "While a time displaced Justice League fought on the front lines against the Fuhrer, you were assisting in minor battles to retake France and Italy. After this time you met the Justice Society and helped them occasionally once the war was over. They eventually took you to Opal City, and you fell in love with it. Something made you wish to stay, so you placed a subconscious block in your mind. It was after this that you fell into villainy. You constructed your cane, and with only your villainous thoughts left to roam your mind, you became a thief yet again" he finished, rather morosely.

The Shade nodded along as he listened, almost convinced as he slowly struggled to stand. "Alright… let's say I believe you. What can I do against the Spear? How could I possibly help?"

"I can show you" he revealed, extending a glowing hand. "Allow me to remove the mental block… to open your mind… to show you a higher purpose"

Shade looked at him for a moment, almost unsure, before nodding. "Alright. Do it"

Fate nodded before pressing his middle and index fingers together, and then setting them on Shade's forehead. They glowed purple for a moment, and Shade looked at him expectantly before suddenly gasping in shock as his mind was opened.

 _-Flashback-_

"You really believed you could stop me?" a Nazi general gloated as he held the original Justice Society in chains against the wall. "Look at you. You could barely hold your own!"

"You wouldn't be saying this if Corrigan was here" Wesley snipped as the General only laughed louder.

"Oh please. You truly believe that the Spectre is more than a myth? He is a sham, nothing! He has no power!" he declared before raising the Spear. "This is true power!" he said, his eyes having taken on an orange tint.

"He's become possessed by the Spear's influence" Ted Knight, the original Starman said. "His thoughts are clouded… as is his judgement"

"Perfect. Just let me out of these chains and I'll kick his ass with both hands tied behind my back" Wildcat smirked.

"Just safe some for me Grant" Laurel Lance, the original Black Canary smirked back.

"There you go, speaking so highly again. Too bad your bravado is simply that. Bravado. No base and no merit at all" the General said before sighing almost wistfully. "Farewell Justice Society. Perhaps the history books will record your defeat." He chuckled, raising the spear for the killing blow before suddenly, a dark form grasped the Spear, wrenching it from his hands. "What sorcery?!"

"Please, while I may not know what exactly gave me this power, I know it wasn't sorcery" a new voice declared.

"Who dares?" the general yelled, as the guards who once stood dormant were now at his side, brandishing weapons.

There was no answer at first, only the stillness of the room, long shadows streaking along the wall. Then, from the far side of the room, a man slowly walked out of the darkness, literally melting into view from the murky black of the shadow. "I do"

The General glared in contempt as the shadow that stole the Spear stood obediently by the man's side. The greed and lust for power never having left his eyes, he turned to his guards. "Seize him!" he yelled before the two nodded and rushed forward.

"Such an amateur strategy" the man sighed before raising his hands and gesturing to the charging guards. In an instant, animals and monsters of all shapes and sized charged from the shadows, made of the inky black depths as they stopped the guards before quickly subduing them.

The general stared in shock before running from the room, retrieving the Spear as he did before rushing out the door. Shade simply went to the heroes before freeing them, much to the ire of Wildcat.

"You're just gonna let him get away?" the boxer protested before the man stopped him.

"The Axis is closing in. We need to move quickly if we are all to escape alive" he explained before leading them to the door. The Society nodded in agreement amongst themselves before following, as Starman moved on ahead.

"Wait!" he called, catching the man's attention. "Thank you for your assistance, you really saved our skin"

"It's no worry. You required my help just as much as the allies need yours"

"What's your name stranger?" Starman asked. The man simply smiled before shrugging.

"My name is Richard Swift, but as my powers suggest, you may call me the Shade" and with that, he slowly melted back into the shadows before disappearing.

* * *

Several weeks later saw the end of World War Two, and the victory of the allies. Thanks to the help of the time displaced Justice League, the war was ended and Vandal Savage's interference was reversed. The Blackhawks especially were a major help in destroying many of the larger weapons, and as a result, took several as trophies; including the Spear of Longinus.

While the justice Society was far from the climactic final battle, they were still rather instrumental in helping to liberate several cities along the way. While they didn't quite catch sight of the mysterious and enigmatic Shade again, he eventually did cross paths with them again during a celebration in London.

It was there he told them his story; an immortal man who was granted power almost a hundred years before. He was travelling the world before the war broke out, and once he saw the threat of the axis, he assisted without any hesitation.

It was during the celebration that Starman had made him the offer to return to Opal City as a member of the Justice Society. While the Shade refused the membership, he did accept the offer to go back to America with them.

"It's time for a change of scenery anyway" he concluded before he left with the team.

Once there, he became fast friends with the Society, as well as becoming a rather common ally of theirs. While he would joke with Hourman, assist Sandman with his latest mystery, or even engage in some brawls with Wildcat and Canary, his strongest friend would always be Starman. The two were almost inseparable, and when Ted's son Jack was born, Richard was happy to enter the family as a surrogate uncle.

But then, things began to change.

* * *

"What's happened? What's wrong with Ted?" Richard asked worriedly, immediately entering the room where the rest of the Society was gathered. Among the six of the gathered founders there was also a new member to the team; Kent Nelson, the sorcerer supreme Dr. Fate. Upon hearing of Ted's sudden illness, he immediately made haste to check on his long-time friend.

"I'm afraid Ted has contracted some sort of illness" Mid-Nite explained with a grimace. "He's been hiding it from us all this time. We can't help him now. It's too far gone"

"No… tell me there's something we can do" Shade pleaded desperately as Fate shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. There is nothing more we can do for Knight now" he said reluctantly as the immortal turned away in sorrow. Seeing this, Fate remembered something. "However, he does wish to speak with you before he passes on"

Shade grimaced at the thought of him passing on. Before he slowly nodded. "Lead the way" he asked, before the door beside them was opened, and he stepped through. On the other side was a sight that broke his heart; Ted Knight lay in a nearby bed, slowly gasping out his final breaths. To the side, his wife watched with tears in her eyes while she held onto their three year old son, Jack.

Richard gripped his cane tightly, the old walking stick cracking slightly under the pressure as he approached the bed. "Ted?"

The fallen Starman slowly opened his eyes before giving a weak nod. "Hey Rich… glad you could make it"

"Well, I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye" he answered with a dry laugh. His eyes shone with wet tears as he slowly removed his dark glasses. "God it hurts to see you like this Ted"

"I can imagine… But I am glad to see you here Rich" the sick man smiled before giving a weak, hacking cough. "Now, there is something I need to ask you"

"Anything. Say it and it shall be done my friend" the immortal said desperately as Ted gave a smile.

"I know you love this city as much as I do. I want you to protect it in my stead. I know the Society will eventually disband, but I want you to always be here. The watcher in the night" he asked as Shade nodded. At that he continued. "I also want you to watch my boy, to keep him safe. I don't want him to join my footsteps, but if he must I have made a new Star Rod. It's in my old room at headquarters, waiting for him. I'll have his mother retrieve it once I'm gone. All I ask, is that if he does become a hero, that you guide him. Prepare him for the battles ahead. If Jack's anything like me, I'm sure you'll get along famously"

"I'll do it. I'll keep your city safe, and I will watch over your boy. I can promise you that" he assured Ted, nodding adamantly as the tears now streaked down his face.

"I'm glad to hear that" Ted smiled before coughing again as his breathing became more laboured. "Thank you again for what you did back in the War… and thank you for being my friend… you're a good man Richard Swift… You are a great… Hero…"

At that, his eyes slowly blinked shut as he gave one last weak breath. An unseen girl dressed in black gently took him by the hand as she led Ted Knight's spirit from his body and into the afterlife. But for the people left behind, they simply cried. Ted's wife looked away, sobbing as she held their sleeping boy. The doctor shook his head morosely, before marking the time of death.

Richard, placed his glasses back on to hide his eyes, before removing his top hat, and bearing it on his chest as a silent salute to the fallen.

"I'll make you proud Ted. I will"

 _-Flashback End-_

In an instant, the Shade was back in the alley with Dr. Fate. The overwhelming weight of the memories started to take its toll as he collapsed again, half sobbing, and half shouting as all of his guilt, anguish, and grief washed over him.

"I've failed him… damn it I failed him! I couldn't keep his city safe, and I couldn't even watch his boy!" he cried before looking up. "Tell me I can fix this… tell me I can make this right!"

"You can. The first step is to come with me, and to help the Justice Society one last time"

"I'll do it" he said, determination filling his voice as he stood up, ignoring his injuries. "I'll do it, for Ted" he decided.

"Very well" Fate nodded before starting to conjure the portal.

"But first… I'll need to change" he said with a small smirk. "These are the clothes of a thief… not a gentleman"

"You are quite correct" the sorcerer said before waving his hand, as Shade's drab and plain villainous costume was replaced. He was now back in his classic black suit, a long overcoat with a fur trim collar over top. His bowtie was a pin in the centre, shaped like a rose, while his boots were replaced with black dress shoes. His once gaudy hat was now a smaller, more proper top hat. Even his glasses changed from the round lenses to his more familiar and beloved rectangular ones.

Then he saw the cane in his hand. His old eagle head cane, with the ebony head, and silver tip. He grinned before nodding. "Now this is more like it. Now come on, it's time to save the Justice Society all over again"

* * *

"You know, in case I don't get the chance to say this again, I'm really sorry about all that" Flint sighed as he and the other heroes were currently chained to the wall.

"Don't worry about it, we can't blame you for what happened" Mid-Nite reasoned while Wildcat groaned.

"Speak for yourself, this is humiliating" the aged boxer whined. "It's World War Two all over again!"

"Indeed" the Thinker chuckled, pacing back and forth as he watched them with undisguised glee. "Only now, you shall indeed die. And just imagine it! No one here to save you! No allied army, no Justice League… no immortal shadow conjurers!"

"Okay, that one I have no clue on" Flint frowned in confusion.

"He's talkin' about the Shade. Before he was a crook he used to be and adventurer. He helped us out of a tight spot in World War Two" Wildcat explained.

"You're kidding" Flint blinked in surprise. "The Shade… really?"

"He's kinda forgotten he's a hero, give him a break!" the boxer defended as Hourman nodded.

"It's true. Why do you think we're so lenient on him?"

"Enough!" Thinker barked. "It's time for me to finish you off once and for all! Make your peace, for today is the last you shall ever see it!"

"Bet you he fails to kill me" Flint snarked as Mid-Nite grimaced.

"Normally I'd take those odds, but I wouldn't be around to claim my winnings"

However, before he could strike a killing blow, a tendril of shadows immediately knocked the spear away, embedding it into a wall across the room. Everyone looked on in surprise before Thinker scowled and turned, seeing the newly arrived Shade. "You! How dare you?!"

"Rather easily" Shade said with a frown. "I may have forgotten what I once was… but I won't do that again! I'm here to save this team, and to honour the memory of Ted Knight!" he called before releasing a torrent of shadow demons at the maniacal genius.

"No, I will not be defeated by some second rate thief!" the Thinker yelled before drawing a gun and firing as he ran for the spear. Shade quickly dove for cover before he moved to the side of the imprisoned heroes.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of there!" he said before Flint shook his head.

"If he gets the spear he'll have the advantage again!"

"Only if he can see" Shade smirked, before freeing them. Once that was done, he immediately plunged the entirety of the room into darkness. The sudden lack of light forced the Thinker to stop, just short of where the Spear was embedded in the wall. "But now, we have the advantage"

True enough, thanks to their own individual skills, the Leaguers now held the advantage over the villain. Thanks to Hourman's pill giving him advanced senses, Wildcat's phenomenal reflexes in combat forged through muscle memory, Flint's natural invulnerability in his sandy state, and Doctor Mid-Nite's ability to see clearly in the dark they now all held the advantage over the villain.

Thinker knew this, and carefully chuckled, raising his arms in surrender. "Perhaps we could reconsider this… talk it over?"

"Lemme think about that" Wildcat smirked before there was the audible sound of a fist colliding with a jaw, easily cracking it. "Nah"

And then the other heroes joined in the brawl. To say the least, the Thinker stood no chance against them, and it was all thanks to the Shade. The eponymous Shade simply watched the heroes beat the Thinker before smirking.

"Imbecile"

* * *

"Well, thanks for the help back there. You really saved our skin" Flint nodded, shaking the Shade's hand. He had to admit, it was a little odd, but it was satisfying to see him turn back to his old ways.

"It's my pleasure. Anything for Opal City" he smiled as Wildcat nodded.

"Yeah, but don't you think you were a little unfair to the Thinker? We could have taken him after all" the boxer smirked.

"Maybe, but it was too much fun" he chuckled before bringing the Spear back to his side with a tendril of shadows. "I think perhaps, this should be returned to Blackhawk Island. History and all that"

"I'll let Hawkgirl know and we can have it back by tomorrow morning" Flint nodded as the heroes all gathered around. "But what about you? What are you gonna do now?"

"I'm… not sure. I'm going to stay in Opal, and see if I can find Ted's son. I need to start making up for what I missed, But other than that…" Shade frowned as Dr. Fate reappeared and floated over.

"Perhaps I can assist you again Mr. Swift" he offered. "There is a plan being set into motion, and I would like your assistance in its completion"

"What kind of plan?"

"The kind that would heavily involve your talents" the sorcerer revealed. "A way to protect this world that the Justice League alone couldn't hope to do"

He considered it for a moment before nodding. "I'm in. Lead the way Doc" he grinned before the two disappeared with a large ankh in a flash of purple light.

Hourman was the first to recover as he checked his watch. "Well, it's only 9:30. We might be able to catch the last bit of the football game if we hurry"

"Oh I'll definitely join you on that" Flint nodded hurriedly. "I was gonna watch it earlier until Fate roped me in to this"

"Then maybe you can join us at JSA's old headquarters' then" Wildcat offered. "Courtney might have the star rod, but she doesn't have the one Ted made for Jack"

"I'll have to check it out then. As long as you three like the Packers" Flint laughed as Mid-Nite clapped his shoulders.

"Hey, anything's better than the Giants" he smirked before all four of them laughed and walked off, with the Spear in tow.

* * *

"And the Justice League successfully defeated this Thinker?" a voice called as Savage nodded.

"Indeed. Hopefully, they'll believe that he created the small gathering of villains. At least for long enough to divert attention from Grodd. He is still our best alibi after all, and he could always be used for another diversion should we have need of it"

"And the Spear being back in their hands?"

"Is of no concern" Savage assured them. "Although Shade's return to heroism is… troubling, it will not be of any great threat yet. Not now at least"

"That is good to hear" another voice, more cultured than the first spoke in a slight French accent. "It would not be good for us if our carefully laid plans were set to ruins thanks to some pathetic excuse for an immortal"

Savage let out a deep chuckle at that before nodding. "Indeed. The true immortals are the ones standing before me. And only we will be able to take the world into its first steps towards… the Light"

* * *

 **And there you have it! Another original chapter done!**

 **Vandal Savage has now entered the field. This should be entertaining, shouldn't it?**

 **The Shade has also become a hero again. But what is this job that Dr. Fate mentioned to him? You'll have tune in to find out.**

 **But up next, is the story of a Viking. A Viking Prince to be exact. As well as the heroes who defended his memory... with the help of a certain Thunder God.**

 **As always, be sure to read and review!**

 **Ciao for now!  
**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	32. To Another Shore

**Hello everyone! New chapter time!**

 **But first I would like thank you all for the warm reception of the last chapter. I'm so glad it was received as well as it was, and it certainly makes me feel better since the Shade is one of my favourite comic characters ever. To know I did well makes me glad.**

 **Next, a new announcement. It was recently brought to my attention that Sandman Unlimited has been added to the FanFic recs for Spider-man on Tv Tropes. I am so happy to know that someone enjoyed my story enough to recommend it. I'm so honoured, and it helps to get my story out there. In that regard, if anyone has an interest in making a Tv Tropes page for my fic I would absolutely be in favour of that. Nothing would make me happier than to see that happen.**

 **But for now, review time!:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Oh, we shall see.**

 **Lovingh3art: Clayface will show up again at some point. As for a redemption... well he'll be a little busy with dear old Ra's**

 **ThisAccountIsDead369: Sounds like a curb-stomp for Kang**

 **Lucian Naruto: No spoilers**

 **Dion ComicWiz: So glad to hear that my chapter exceeded expectations. I was a little nervous about it at first, but the positive response has made me so happy. Yes Swift and Knight did have a relationship like the comics, I felt it worked well for what I was writing. As for the Light, they will not be as prevalent until the sequel, but damn are they ever playing the waiting game. And I honestly would love to see a Tv Tropes page for this series sometime, as indicated before. It would honestly be the best thing to come of this fic. As long as the sequel gets included too.**

 **cabrera1234: Despite how much I love that series, no Conan will not appear.**

 **demonic hellfire: Hell yeah Young Justice after this fic!**

 **Thank you again for the reviews!**

 **And now, for the disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea. Sandman, Thor, and all related characters are owned by Marvel. The Justice League, Legion of Doom, and all related characters are owned by DC. Please support the official releases.**

* * *

As was the case with most days as of late, the League was yet again spread thin and incredibly busy. For one reason or another, the villains started to start coming out of the woodwork again, and there were even more natural disasters that required the assistance of the League was far as mitigation and evacuation went. The emergence of villains working together again suddenly gave the league reason to worry.

In the wake of Flint and the JSA defeating the Thinker with the assistance of the Shade, the League believed the villain crisis to be over. After all, Thinker had the motive and the means to gather these villains together for the purpose of revenge. However, the villainous activity continuing, as well as the League's inability to track down any villains they believed to be working alongside the Thinker had started to raise doubts among them. Even still, certain motives didn't line up. After all, Thinker never expressed any need or want for Kryptonite in any way, so if Metallo _was_ working for the madman, why would he have gone to Shamballah to retrieve a large Kryptonite boulder? Clearly he had other motives apart from being a simple thug.

Nevertheless, despite the current busy situation that the League found itself in, there was still some alleviation from their hectic schedules. As such, Green Arrow and Sandman were currently relaxing in the monitor room with some coffee. Sitting nearby, Mister Terrific was working on his morning crossword, while Martian Manhunter was monitoring the various missions.

"So has Fate explained what his mystery project is yet?" Arrow asked curiously. Not long after Fate had left with the Shade, he returned to speak with the founders about an idea he had proposed. Despite the founders' interest, there was surprisingly little word on what it was to be.

"Not really. Only that he wants me and Z involved somehow" Flint shrugged, sipping his coffee. It was black as usual, while Arrow preferred his macchiato.

"Maybe it involves magic" the archer mused

"Wouldn't surprise me. Not a lot of people in the League really know how to fight it. It's pretty much just Fate, Z, and Shazam really"

"Knowing Batman he probably has a batarang for it" Arrow quipped.

"Or some Bat-Sorcerer Repellent" Flint joked before the two men chuckled amicably.

"Something funny?" a new voice called as the two turned to see Diana. However, instead of her usual attire, she was instead in a purple business jacket, with a black pleated skirt underneath. Her hair was also tied up in a bun as opposed to how it normally flowed freely down her back.

Arrow gave a low wolf-whistle. "Lookin' good Diana. Got a hot date with a certain billionaire?"

"No such luck Ollie" she sighed. "I'm actually representing Themyscira in the climate change conference in Norway"

"Good, because we were just making fun of said billionaire" Flint smirked before sipping his coffee. However, mention of the conference gave him pause to think. Climate Change was rapidly becoming a problem for them, and while in his own Earth it was being solved (despite Tony's failed attempt to have Iceman solve the whole problem for them), the Justice League's world was still behind in their attempts to slow the problem. This wasn't helped the number of nations who openly disregarded the clear evidence of the rapid shift in climate posing any real danger.

"Way to go; save the planet!" Green Arrow cheered sarcastically while Diana simply crossed her arms ruefully.

"More like, 'save my relationship with my mother'."

"Hey, I'd go with you, but the League has me stuck here. Can't imagine it'll be much fun on your own" Flint offered as Diana gave him a hopeful nod.

"Well, I don't want to go by myself" she hummed to herself thoughtfully, before looking to the resident Martian. "J'onn, why don't you come with me?"

"The Justice League currently has over twenty active missions at the moment. Only I can effectively coordinate them" he answered simply, not even turning around.

"You can let Mister Terrific handle it. He's smart enough to coordinate missions and do the morning crossword" Diana retorted easily.

"Go ahead J'onn" Mister Terrific said, leaning back in his chair as he tossed the newspaper on the table. "I'm already finished with the crossword"

"You did it in ink again didn't you?" Green Arrow asked in an accusing tone, while the super-genius merely shrugged in response.

"Mister Terrific is more than capable, but I insist that I remain where I'm needed" the Martian countered.

Diana however, was less than thrilled with that answer. "Turn around and talk to me" she ordered, taping her foot impatiently until J'onn slowly turned around to face her. "You've been cooped up in here like a hermit for almost two years now. When was the last time you went out on a mission? When we went to Flint's universe?"

"I can better serve the League…" he started only for Flint to cut him off.

"You can better serve us with ground support. You got telepathy, shape-shifting, super strength, flight, you can co intangible _and_ invisible. You're one of our heaviest hitters!" Flint chimed in, as Diana nodded in agreement before picking up again, levelling a disappointed glare at J'onn.

"The only reason you're not out there right now, helping humanity, is because you don't _want_ to be. You don't actually like humans all that much, do you?"

The Martian seemed to flinch at her words before looking away. "I don't… dislike them"

"Listen, I know that they're not always the best to be around. We know. Hell, CADMUS is a testament to that, but it's not healthy to be so isolated J'onn" Flint added.

"It's worth the effort. Humanity is worth the effort" Dianna said with a soft smile, gently cupping his cheek.

"They're right J'onn. You've got to mingle. Maybe you should take a few meals in the cafeteria?" Green Arrow suggested.

"My Martian physiology doesn't require as many meals as humans do" J'onn replied as Diana shook her head.

"You know what he means. You must be terribly lonely"

"At the very least you could join us for another poker night. I'll even bring the Chocos" Flint smiled before Diana looked at the time on her cell phone.

"I've got to go, but we're not done talking about this" the Amazon stated before she hurried out of the room. As she left, J'onn continued to watch her before his own thoughts overtook him. However, he would soon be brought out of his musing by the arrival of a familiar swirling portal.

"You expecting anyone Flint?" Arrow asked as Flint shook his head.

"No, I haven't heard anything about this" he frowned before a figure stepped through. He was garbed in heavy armour, half-plated with mail beneath it. On his head there was a winged helmet, and he wore a long red cape that nearly reached the heel of his boots. On his belt, a large hammer lay, ornate designs decorating it. The figure gave a great smile as the portal behind him closed, his large blonde beard only adding to the visage.

"Greetings Man of Sand! How fare thee in this realm's Midgard?" Thor asked jovially before clapping Flint on the shoulder.

Flint stumbled in surprise at this before giving a weak chuckle. "Oh you know, same ol' same ol'. What are you doing here though? Is there trouble back home?"

"Nay, I have just been wanting to visit this world of yours for some time. It has made me greatly curious to see what exists in this realm" Thor explained. "Consider it a friendly visit!"

Flint thought on this for a moment before nodding. 'Yeah, that figures. Oh well, no harm in a visit I guess' he thought to himself before nodding. "Alright. Why don't I give you a tour of the Watchtower here?"

"Verily. Lead the way Man of Sand!" Thor bellowed before Flint lead him on down the hall.

* * *

Gorilla Grodd was, on this day in particular, a very satisfied villain. His Secret Society was performing far better than he could have ever even imagined. Their recent victories were numerous, and despite the brief hiccup that was Metallo, the League had largely been unable to halt his progress.

Thanks to this recent success, Grodd saw fit to begin work on his most daring scheme yet. As such, he gathered the entire Society, at least the ones he could easily bring to the fortress, where they all waited for him at a large table. There was one in particular that Grodd was most interested in speaking with.

"Status report Mr. Luthor?" the ape asked the former business conglomerate. Luthor, to his credit, didn't scowl and simply rolled his eyes.

"I've successfully augmented the powers and abilities of almost two dozen of our associates" he shrugged, leaning back in his chair with a self-satisfied smirk. "But I've had the most success with Atomic Skull" he said as the gathered villains voiced their own approval of his work.

Grodd nodded approvingly before giving Luthor a pensive look. "And what about Black Manta?" he enquired, asking about the long-time villain and sworn enemy of Atlantis.

" _Ready for Action_ " Manta's voice said, distorted by the large, disc-shaped helmet he wore. He had an armoured suit, jet black in colour, with only brief flashes of red and grey to break up the pitch. He was the resident underwater expert of the Legion, and he was damn good at his job. Behind the glowing red lenses of his helmet, he watched the ape with calculating eyes. " _I feel stronger than ever_ "

"That's because you are" Luthor explained. "Then enhanced strength to your armour is the least of the gifts I've given you. Your stingers for example…"

"Perfect timing Lex" Grodd interrupted swiftly, calling everyone's attention back to him. "I've got an assignment that's right up Black Manta's new and improved alley"

" _Just tell me where_ " the aquatic villain said, his voice full of morbid anticipation.

Grodd smiled before sitting in his chair at the end of the table. "First, let me tell you a story" he began, as the villains watched him curiously. "In Scandinavia, early in the tenth Century, lived Prince John, the greatest warrior of his era. His tremendous skill and valour won him fame throughout the world, as the legendary Viking Prince. His adventures were epic, as were the legends that grew around his exploits"

At this start, the villains simply watched him skeptically. Luthor especially was unsure. "Now, this part we know to be truth. On a broken battlefield, Prince John was the sole survivor of a bloody war, its purpose long-since lost to time, where he met a Valkyrie. A messenger of the Norse gods, she was sent to bring the souls of fallen heroes to their reward in Valhalla. Impossibly, she and Prince John fell in love, and swore their hearts to each other. But Odin, king of the Norse gods discovered their illicit affair. Enraged, he banished the Viking Prince from Valhalla. Prince John pleaded with Odin for mercy, begging him to be allowed to remain with his love. Odin agreed, saying that if John died a heroic death, he and his love would again be together for all eternity" Grodd said, letting the moment settle in before he continued.

"But Odin was a crafty god, as well as cruel. Before exiling John, he gifted him with invulnerability to harm; from metal and fire, to wood and stone, to man or beast. The Viking Prince soon realized he would never die a hero's death because no weapon on Earth could slay him. Still, he travelled the world, seeking adventure and battle, as well as an honourable death, but at the same time distancing himself from humanity. Eventually, weary of the endless fight for justice and despairing in his loneliness, he sailed north, beyond the boundaries of the known and passed from the knowledge of man" he smirked, leaning forward with his elbows now placed on the table. "Until now that is"

Luthor immediately knew what the ape meant. "That Viking ship that was found in a glacier in Norway last month? You think it's his?"

"I know it is" Grodd chuckled before pressing a button on the table, conjuring an image of the eponymous ship. There was a clear symbol on the sails, which Grodd brought to their attention. "That's the standard of King Rick, his father. The Viking Prince is on that ship"

" _And?_ " Manta asked impatiently.

At that Grodd didn't even look up. He simply stared ahead as his smirk widened. "I want you to steal his corpse"

"You want me to reverse-engineer the secret to his invulnerability?" Luthor asked, immediately realizing his intent.

"If we gained that power, all of us, we'd have nothing left to fear from the Justice League. And we'd be that much closer to my ultimate goal" he boasted, standing up triumphantly.

"That's something I've noticed you haven't told us yet" Killer Frost said, eying Grodd with suspicion as she leaned against King Shark. For all the talk Grodd had made regarding his plans for victory, he had managed to remain incredibly secretive about the true nature of his goal.

"Patience my friends" Grodd said in an attempt to placate them. "The grandest prizes are worth the wait"

* * *

Far across the world in Norway, Diana sighed in disdain as she left the conference. Despite her best efforts to try and convince the representatives on the seriousness of climate change, and the numerous counts of evidence they still ignored her, claiming it a fallacy. Even when she opened the curtains to reveal the legendary Viking ship, only recently discovered, literally thawing before their eyes.

In the wake of all this, she declared an ultimatum; if they continued to disregard the condition of the planet, Themyscira would simply wage war on the rest of them to fix the problem themselves. After leaving them with the assurance that it was only a last resort (albeit a very real last resort), she finally left the meeting to go out onto a nearby balcony for some air. It was there that she came across a familiar face.

"Agent Faraday? What are you doing here?" she asked the government liaison to the Justice League, as he turned with a small shrug.

"Not smoking" he chuckled before blowing a bubble with the gum he was chewing. "Want some?" he offered, holding the pack out to her.

"No thanks" she declined before leaning on the railing next to him.

"I'm here with security" he clarified. "Since the Vice President's in town. You should know that, since you almost backhanded him into a wall during your little rant" he smirked, referencing how she very nearly struck the Vice President when her rant against the representatives got a little more heated than expected. It was only her sharpened instincts for combat that prevented her from seriously injuring him. "By the way, if you raise your voice in the VP's presence again, my men are under orders to shoot you"

At that, Diana only rolled her sleeve up to reveal her trademark unbreakable bracelets, while also sporting a look that almost dared him to try.

Faraday shook his head good-naturedly before shrugging. "So what's on your mind princess?"

"Just stressed" she replied, leaning on the railing. "Between this and my normal duties, I've got a lot to do"

He nodded in understanding at that, but before he could say anything else, a sudden large explosion rocked the entirety of the ski-resort that the conference was being held at. Faraday immediately rushed off to assemble the security team and prepare them for an evacuation, while Diana spread her arms and spun around, In an instant she was in her full Wonder Woman garb before she flew down to the glacier below.

Once she reached the bottom of the glacier she was greeted by Firefly melting the ice around the ship, while Black Manta, Killer Frost, and Giganta kept the security forces of the conference at bay. The villains were easily beating back the security forces however, as the soldiers were strewn aside easily. One in particular eased himself to sit up before yelling at Firefly.

"Stop! If you pull that ship out, half the mountain is going to come down!"

"So what?" Firefly asked in a bored voice before returning to his work.

"So I'm not going to let you do it" Wonder Woman declared before launching forward. Giganta immediately grew in size to oppose her but Wonder Woman simply struck her hard across the jaw, sending the giantess to the ground with ease. "Out of my way jumbo!"

With Giganta down temporarily, she focused on a retreating Killer Frost, forcing the cryokinetic back towards Firefly. Before she could pursue however, she was suddenly struck in the shoulder by something sharp, as she gave a cry of surprise and sudden agony. Immediately, she became dizzy as she struggled to stand.

" _You were hit by a poisonous stinger sweetheart_ " Manta smirked as he walked towards her. Wonder Woman tried to strike him as he approached, but King Shark suddenly burst from the ice below, knocking her back. Manta nodded to the other villain as he reloaded his wrist-mounted gun with more stingers. " _It'll kill you slowly and painfully. But, today's your lucky day, because I'm about to put you out of your misery_ "

He levelled his blaster and prepared to fire, before he was suddenly interrupted by a hailstorm of bullets from above. The bullets ricocheted off of his armour, as well as Giganta and Shark's skin, while Frost took shelter behind a quickly conjured ice shield, as Faraday suddenly led a new charge. He was flanked by several men, all on jetpacks and each heavily armed.

"Move it you gold-prickin' yahoos!" Faraday barked as he raised his gun. "Pour it on!"

Thankfully, the gunfire was able to force the villains back as Faraday moved over to where Wonder Woman was. "You okay?"

"Arm's numb" she groaned painfully as she slowly stood up. "Stomach's not doing so good either"

"Easy princess, let me look at the wound" he frowned before examining her shoulder, finding the barb still inside. "The stinger is still in there"

"Take it out" she ordered.

"There's a barb. If you want a bullet to bite, there's plenty lying around" he offered.

"Now!" she yelled as Faraday quickly pulled it out. She flinched slightly before standing up tall again, cracking her knuckles firmly. "Now, let's take them down" she declared before charging forward again. However, her optimism was quickly shot down as she was once again forced back by the villains until she and Faraday found themselves back-to-back.

"We could retreat" Faraday called, dodging a shot from Manta as he returned fire.

"I'm not backing down from a fight!" she yelled back, narrowly avoiding a blast of ice from Frost. "But I don't suppose calling for help is backing down"

"I gotta say, it ain't" faraday reasoned with a nod as Wonder Woman immediately reached for her communicator.

* * *

"So, I guess that concludes our tour of the Watchtower" Flint shrugged as he and Thor returned to the observation deck where Arrow was waiting for them.

"This is quite the station, Man of Sand, Truly a home worthy of the World's mightiest of heroes!" the God of Thunder grinned.

"Yeah, we like it" Flint laughed. However, any further talk was interrupted by a sudden call.

"J'onn, I need help" Diana called. However, everyone's blood ran cold at how frighteningly weak she sounded.

"The Watchtower's sensors picked up tremors near your location" the Martian replied, though the undercurrent of worry was evident in his voice. "I knew you were on the scene and assumed you could handle it"

"Well I can't" Wonder Woman replied.

"What the hell's going on down there?" Flint asked worriedly.

"I'm outnumbered, and I'm not feeling well" she said. "Black Manta hit me with something toxic"

"We're still short-handed" J'onn frowned. "I can spare Green Arrow, Sandman, and Mister Terrific…"

"Take whoever you want J'onn, but I need you!" she said before the line was suddenly cut. An air of silence hung before Flint nodded.

"Come on J'onn, she needs some heavy hitters, and you're the heaviest we've got at the moment" Flint said as the Martian shook his head.

"But the Watchtower…"

"Can be watched by me" Mister Terrific interrupted. "This will only take a little while. Go, help her" he pressed before J'onn nodded, leading Flint and Arrow away. However, they were soon joined by Thor behind them.

"Gonna give us a hand Goldilocks?" Arrow asked as Thor nodded.

"Aye. This Wonder Woman is a worthy warrior, one I would be proud to fight alongside again. And if she is in need of assistance, then I will not hesitate to take the battle to Midgard for her"

"Alright then, let's go" Flint nodded as the four went to the teleporters. "Send us down Mister Terrific!" Flint called up, as Mister Terrific nodded and activated the teleporter.

* * *

Despite their best efforts, Wonder Woman and Agent Faraday soon found themselves taking cover behind one of the ice walls Killer Frost had constructed earlier. The rest of their forces had since been defeated. They were either strewn about unconscious, or else frozen solid in a block of ice.

Faraday peeked out from behind their cover before firing his last few shots. He shook the empty gun with a frown before putting it away. "Well, that bites" he grimaced.

He wasn't the only one who noticed this, as Giganta gave a triumphant smirk before moving towards them with long, powerful strides. She reached down, ready to grab and crush the pair, however she was soon halted as an arrow suddenly impacted with her hand, and exploded. She flinched in surprise, shaking her hand at the sudden sharp pain.

"What's the matter honey? Break a nail?" green Arrow taunted, vaulting over the crest of a hill as he prepared another arrow.

"Green Arrow?!" the giantess screeched in rage.

"Yep. And I brought company" the archer smirked as J'onn suddenly flew forward, punching Black Manta back into another ice wall as Sandman levelled a punch right to Frost sending her flying as well.

"Heh, that wasn't so hard" Flint smirked to himself before hearing an enraged roar from behind him. He turned in surprise to see King Shark barrelling towards him, unbridled fury in his eyes. "Oh right, I forgot about the boyfriend" Flint muttered.

" **NOBODY TOUCHES FROST!** " the half-shark demigod yelled, before he was stopped in his tracks by a bolt of lightning.

"Take heed, thou must face the wrath of the God of Thunder!" Thor said, aiming Mjolnir right at the villain, as the half-shark narrowed his eyes.

"A Norseman? Time to show you what the Hawaiian gods can do!" he bellowed before charging at Thor, the two now engaged in a heated battle, exchanging vicious blows of lightning, claws, hammer, teeth, and bare fists.

"Heh, what a blowhard. How you doing there Ollie?" Flint called before seeing the archer encased in a block of ice. "Right, Frost is still here" he frowned, dodging a sudden burst of ice from her.

The frozen archer was soon freed, as a circular saw blade cut through the ice, slowly but surely freeing him from his prison. "And Black Canary said that a buzz-saw arrow was self-indulgent" the archer laughed. Frost and Sandman looked up from their dead-lock, each giving him the same blank stare.

"It is!" the two called before returning to their scuffle.

With their allies providing them with improved odds, Wonder Woman got her chance to catch a second wind, delivering an uppercut to Giganta and sending her crashing into the glacier below. However, that only helped the poison to flow through her fast as she soon plummeted down as well, J'onn caught her before she could hit the ground before the two looked to see Firefly still working intently.

"They've had every opportunity to retreat, but they keep fighting" J'onn frowned, watching the pyromaniac work. "What makes that ancient vessel so important?"

"If I can get my lasso around one of them, I can make them tell" Wonder Woman reasoned, grabbing her enchanted lasso. However, she panted heavily, groaning from the pain that the poison caused.

"Good idea, but save your strength" J'onn answered, before looking to Giganta who was starting to stand back up again. His eyes glowed orange as he used his telepathy to pry into her mind. Without warning, he was struck by immediate and unexpected telepathic feedback. He pushed back, receiving brief thoughts regarding a 'Viking Prince' as well as a baritone voice mentioning how he was 'invulnerable to harm', with the face of a gorilla accompanying it.

The feedback suddenly spiked as Giganta clutched her head, screaming in agony before she collapsed in a heap. As she fell, she managed to knock Firefly out of the sky by accident as both villains hit the ice below unconscious.

J'onn was also struggling to stand, as he still reeled from the telepathic force that had met him in Giganta's mind. Wonder Woman now steadied him, a complete reversal of their earlier position. "J'onn, are you okay?"

The Martian took a breath before looking up with grim determination. "I couldn't get it all, but we cannot allow them to get that ship!"

"Whatever you say J'onn" Flint grunted before turning his arm into a mace and smacking Frost back across the ice, where Black Manta narrowly avoided being struck by her flying body. The armoured villain scowled before looking up to the ship in the glacier. Firefly's work had succeeded in exposing the ship, but only partially. Taking a moment to weigh his options, the villain nodded.

" _Close enough_ " he decided, shooting another guard who was charging him before he activated a button on his gauntlet. In seconds, a massive submarine emerged from the water nearby before aiming its cannons to the large glacier. " _Fire!_ " he yelled, before the cannons fired two massive claws. One barrelled right through Flint, scattering his sand across the snow before both grasped the ship before roughly tearing it free from the ice. As they pulled, they caused a chain reaction which lead to a large portion of the mountain and glacier falling, where it quickly made a large avalanche that barreled towards the ski resort.

"Sandman, Green Arrow!" J'onn called. "Go after that ship! It cannot fall into the wrong hands! I'll handle the avalanche" he called before the two heroes rushed off. Thor saw their departure before nodding.

"Time to finish this" the god declared as King Shark smirked, raising his fists above his head.

"You ain't going nowhere!" the half-shark roared. Before he could bring his fists down, he looked up, noticing the wind picking up as a swirling mass of thunderclouds suddenly descended around him, and lightning struck across the battlefield.

"Foolish villain… you challenge the son of Odin!" the thunder god yelled before raising Mjolnir to the heavens. In a second, a massive bolt of lightning crashed down and struck the hammer, making it crackle with electricity. "Have at thee!" he bellowed before firing the bolt, shocking the shark into submission.

The two other leaguers rushed to the water's edge before Flint turned to Arrow. "Arrow, you get on that sub, see if you can stop it. I'll get in the water and cut the cables"

"Sure thing boss" the archer saluted before firing a zip-line arrow and using it to descend onto the ship. As he did, Flint could have sworn he was humming his own triumphant theme music.

"Alright, stopping a sub. Should be significantly easier than literally most of the other things I've done" he muttered before jumping into the ocean. 'I got here somehow' he thought to himself as his sand billowed to the bottom, luckily for him it wasn't much more than fifty feet below the surface. Summoning the all the silt he could, he took off for where the submarine was attempting to launch from.

Carefully crafting his hand into a blade he cut through the cables one by one. To his disappointment, Manta had chosen reinforced steel as his cord of choice, making them harder to cut with sand alone. That wasn't the only thing that made it difficult as he was suddenly bombarded with a flurry of stingers, all of which passed through his sand harmlessly. He turned his head to see Manta floating thirty feet behind him, his wrist mounted launchers pointed at him threateningly.

" _If you know what's good for you, you'll stop right there_ " the aquatic villain said threateningly. Flint simply rolled his eyes in response before cutting through another one of the cables.

"Or what? You'll miss your shots again?" he asked as another dart flew through him. "Do you see how you're failing at this right now?"

The villain seemed to consider this for a bit before raising the launcher again. " _Shut up_ " he muttered before firing again. This time the stinger flew into the last of the cables, only helping to sever it more. Both looked at it in surprise before Manta face palmed. " _D'oh!_ "

"So uh… how's that feel?" Flint asked rhetorically. There was an awkward silence before he cleaned his throat. "If it's any consolation, I'll buy you a beer after I stop you"

" _Yeah… that sounds real nice right about now_ " Manta conceded before sighing. " _Just do it_ " the villain requested before Flint summoned a massive column of sand to launch the villain out of the water and back to shore with ease.

"I almost feel bad for him" Flint mussed before cutting the last cable on the sub, and allowing the ship to be freed. "Almost"

* * *

Back on shore, Frost slowly dragged herself back onto her feet. She took a moment to collect herself, focusing in time to see Black Manta launched form the water and hitting the ground roughly where he fell unconscious. "Tch… idiot" she muttered before seeing King Shark fall defeated at the hands of the mysterious newcomer the League had brought with them.

"Shark!" she screamed in alarm before rushing forward. However, she was caught by surprise by Martian Manhunter suddenly grasping her arms and lifting her up into the air. "Hey, let go of me!" she screeched, flailing around in his arms.

The Martian ignored her struggles, instead watching the people below at the resort rushing around in fear and alarm at the avalanche that cascaded towards them. He was only looking for a brief second, but the compassion that it summoned inside reminded him exactly why he had joined the League in the first place; to protect the innocent. And he would not forsake that duty now.

However, the frigid villain in his grasp brought his attention back to the matter at hand. "Let me go, or so help me I'll freeze you in places you didn't even know you had places!" she scowled as J'onn stopped his flight just above the hotel, before landing on the ground.

"Use your powers" he said in a commanding tone. "Stop the avalanche or everyone behind us will die!"

"And why should I care?" the villain grumbled.

At that moment, the Martian focused a blank stare at her, which sent an unnatural and long forgotten chill down her spine. "When it hits, I intend for both of us to be standing right here"

At that moment, the panic set in as she watched the avalanche fearfully. "I don't even know if I'm powerful enough to stop an avalanche that big!"

"Let's find out, shall we?" he said in a monotone voice before the villain took a shaky breath. She watched the wall of ice rush towards them before summoning all the power she could into one focused blast. She crafted a massive wall, several hundred feet high and dozens of feet thick as the avalanche impacted the side of it. Thankfully, it was strong enough to survive the avalanche as it held strong, effectively saving the resort.

Frost nodded to herself, a small yet smug smirk on her face before she stumbled forward, suddenly overcome with her fatigue at what she had done. J'onn caught her carefully, setting her down on the ground.

"You did well" he complimented her as she gave him a weak sneer.

"Kiss my frozen butt" she hissed before passing out.

J'onn gave a small nod before standing back up, noticing the crowd of people who had gathered and were congratulating him on his success. They all cheered and wave to him, as the normally reserved Leaguer returned with a small smile.

'It is good that I came… there is no telling what would of happened if I didn't' he considered before flying off to go and check on Wonder Woman.

* * *

"Why did I say yes to this again?" Arrow muttered to himself as he fought through the various crew members found in Manta's submarine. Manta was unusual as far as supervillains went. Despite being a fairly traditional villain in terms of motives and operations, he still had a large array of henchmen to assist him.

This was quickly proving to be to the detriment of Green Arrow as he ran across yet another henchman, this one holding a high powered rifle. "What are you doing in here?" the henchman demanded before he was suddenly knocked unconscious by the infamous boxing glove arrow.

"Well for one thing, it's freezing out there!" Arrow snarked before running into the bridge. Looking around, he noted that none of the controls looked familiar in any way whatsoever. It would be a miracle if he could even figure out one thing they did. So, he defaulted to the next strategy, and what was more than likely the most successful; destroy everything in sight.

He had barely even begun to destroy the bridge before the sound of several cocking rifles brought his attention to the large crowd of guards behind him.

"Aw crud… uh parley?" he said weakly before raising his hands in surrender.

"If you move, we're gonna have to mop what's left of you off the floor" one guard warned as Arrow shrugged.

"I don't supposed you boys want to talk about this?" he offered before a sudden transmission came over the bridge's communications. The group watched the blinking light before Arrow nodded. "That's probably for me"

The same guard simply pressed a button to open the channel before a familiar voice sounded. "Attention unidentified craft, this is Special Agent King Faraday. Your vessel is currently surrounded by three United States Navy Seawolf-Class submarines. While I strongly suggest that you surrender immediately and prepare to be boarded, I _really_ like firing Trident missiles at tiny subs. So the decision is entirely up to you" he said before ending the call.

"Yep, that was for me" Arrow nodded as the guards reluctantly threw their weapons down on the deck.

* * *

With the situation now back under control, the Leaguers in addition to their Norse ally were watching as various soldiers from different countries came to apprehend the villains and their crew. In addition, the Viking ship was now set to be moved to a museum here it would be preserved. Green Arrow nodded at that before turning to Wonder Woman.

"How's the shoulder?" he asked in concern as she smiled, rubbing it.

"Better" she nodded. "The antitoxin that was in Black Manta's belt did the trick" she said happily before Faraday came over to join them.

"I still don't get what this was about" the agent frowned as Arrow answered him.

"They think that the corpse of the Viking aboard holds the secret to invulnerability" he explained, before turning to J'onn. "Right?"

"That was their plan" he confirmed. "Or as much of it as I could learn before something shut down Giganta's mind"

"That's the same thing that happened with Metallo a while back" Flint frowned.

"So these guys are working with Metallo?" Faraday asked.

"And perhaps others" J'onn mused. "Therefore, we cannot leave Prince John's body here. They may attempt to take it again"

"Then perhaps I should take it to Asgard" Thor offered. "The story I heard of the treachery that this world's Odin showed in the face of such a hero is greatly disheartening. I would like to take him back to Asgard to give him a proper funeral so that he may finally enter Valhalla"

"I think that would be for the best" Diana nodded. "In the meantime, we have a larger mystery to work on"

"Yeah. Strange thefts, supervillains with their heads wired to shut down if you question them. We've got a real mystery here" Green Arrow agreed with a frown.

"True, and it is a mystery that you will solve with me at your sides" J'onn said before turning to Wonder Woman. "You were right Diana. I have been keeping away from humanity, because I forgot that there were still good people, people that were worth saving. I was reminded of that today, and I won't forget it again" he said before pausing. "In order to reconnect with this idea I would like to take a break from active duty, to live among people again. It would help me to return to humanity"

Diana seemed to frown at this idea before placing her hand on his shoulder in understanding. "If that is what it takes to help you J'onn you can take all the time you need. Do you know where you'll be going?"

"Yes I do" he nodded. "There is a location I have heard of, I believe it would serve my purposes well"

* * *

Far off in the mountains of Tibet, there lay a hidden city. Inside, the city was protected from the ravaging weather of the outside mountains, and remained a true green paradise, a veritable Shangri-La. This was K'un-Lun, the birthplace of Kung Fu.

J'onn took a cursory glance around the mythical city before a figure clad in black leather approached him.

"Hello J'onn, and welcome to K'un-Lun" Salamandra greeted. "Shall I show you around?"

"I would like that, thank you" he agreed before she took him by the arm and lead him off to show him the various sights.

* * *

"Well father, is everything ready?"

"Indeed Thor. After what you have told me, everything is ready for the Prince to be honoured" Odin nodded before opening the large doors to where the grand ceremony was to take place. At the announcement of a great funeral for such a renowned warrior, many of the famed Gods of Asgard had come to honour the fallen legend. Lady Sif, the Warriors Three, Balder the Brave, Brunnhilde the Valkyrie, even Thor's sister Angela had come to pay tribute.

What's more, Hercules the Greek God of strength had also come to join his brother in arms in the commemoration of Prince John.

Odin took a large torch from the wall before approaching the funeral pyre they had built, Prince John's body lying on top of it. "In honour of a brave warrior, cursed unfairly for his self-less and noble acts, I declare that the halls of Valhalla be opened to receive him. May he join the battles of the afterlife, and may his story be forever celebrated!" the All-Father declared before he ignited the pyre.

The fire quickly burned, the Prince's body lost among the flames. In his death, he had helped to prevent yet another group of evildoers who sought to do harm. Once more, he was a hero.

And on the other side, his love awaited him with opened arms.

* * *

 **And done!**

 **Yet another scheme has been foiled, this time with the help of a thunder god. Oh and king Shark is here too. I figured with Thor joining in, the villains needed some extra muscle.**

 **As mentioned before, I love the Killer Frost x King Shark ship. As such, both characters are in their Assault on Arkham designs for this fic and its sequel.**

 **Next time, more trouble brews as the Legion makes their endgame play. Time for Grodd and the League to finally come to blows!**

 **Until next time, be sure to read and review!**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	33. The Sandman vs Dracula

**Boom! I'm back!**

 **I apologize for the wait on this week was getting rather hectic, and I was unable to find the time to get to work here. But now I've got this special treat here for you.**

 **You see initially, this chapter was going to be "Dead Reckoning", but with the Halloween season fast approaching, and my own desire to stretch this story as far as I can, I decided to bring back one of my older, scrapped ideas.**

 **I was given the inspiration for this story a while back, and honestly, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. So here we go; Sandman vs Dracula. It doesn't get any more awesome than that.**

 **On a more somber note, this fic is nearing completion. After this, there are only five or six chapters left. Sad I know. But do not despair, for after this fic, the sequel shall begin! And after all you are getting a Halloween special. Maybe I can squeeze a Christmas special out of this...**

 **In any case, let's move on to the reviews!:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: No one would be prepared for the Hulk**

 **xbox432: Marvel Odin is still an asshole, he's just... less of one.**

 **zanpaktospirit0: Damn right it is!**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Thank you again for your kind words my friend. Hopefully this chapter continues to be good, but we shall see.**

 **Celgress: Why thank you, I'm glad you enjoy it!**

 **As always, I love all your reviews! Be sure to keep sending them in.**

 **And for a fun little bonus, I hid some of my favourite horror movies of all time in this chapter. Not every one mentioned is among them though, so see if you can pick which ones.**

 **And now as always, the disclaimer: I own NOTHING from this story but the idea. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney (Disney would never let something this awesome exist. The Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC comics and Warner Bros. Dracula is owned by Bram Stoker. Carmilla Karnstein is owned by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. Please support the official releases!**

 **And now, on to the main event: the God-Damn Sandman, vs Dracula the King of the Vampires. God it doesn't get much better than this (Why yes, I did marathon Cinemassacre's Monster Madness before this chapter was released. It helped a ton)**

* * *

In the wake of the Viking Prince's ship being torn out of the glacier, villain activity had once again subsided. There was a brief air of victory for the League as they now had a long needed break at hand. Even natural disasters appeared to slow down for them, as the League now had time to themselves. For someone like Batman, that meant a return to his usual Gotham patrols. Riddler's recent escape proving to be a rather time-consuming mission for him. For someone like Flint, it meant that he could enjoy a nice marathon of horror movies with his wife and daughter. After all, Halloween was fast approaching,

However, as usual there was one person who above all else, as rueful. Rueful and vengeful, his focus expressly on the League and Superman in particular. Professor Emil Hamilton was deeply disappointed with what had recently transpired. CADMUS, as far as he was concerned, was in the right. Waller was a fool for ever stopping the project. But now he had no one to work with him. He had no funding, he had no support. Even his daughter had turned against him. His own daughter, his perfect Galatea had turned against him to help the League.

And now, he was alone. A shadow of his former self. Locked in his apartment in Metropolis with little outside work or contact. Initially it drove him mad. He had nothing to do, and was left with nothing but his own guilt. His thoughts of revenge eventually overwrote that guilt though. It festered and grew inside him, becoming an obsession.

All he needed was a way to get back at the League. Some sort of ally with enough power and cause to help him defeat the Justice League once and for all. Initially this proved more difficult than he thought. After all, he didn't wish to tarnish his scientific reputation by working with reputed villains. He was about to give up before he came across something. It was scant, but it mentioned a wave of kidnappings and disappearances in Gotham from a few years ago. In fact, they occurred early into the career of the Batman.

These kidnappings occurred after dark, starting with night workers and the homeless, before eventually spreading to other civilians. It spread like wildfire, but the Batman stopped it. The official story was that Penguin was holding them hostage as some sort of great laundering scheme, but there were too many holes.

Hamilton was determined to examine those holes further. After a few more months of research he finally had his big break. The true perpetrator of these actions, and his soon to be ally. All he needed was time to gather some much needed supplies.

* * *

It was several months later, but Hamilton had finally found everything he needed. First was a clean table, simple enough. Then it was a beaker of blood. A large beaker; five and a half litres of blood to be precise. That was a little harder to obtain, but thankfully a recent cadaver was more than useful in this regard. Then he needed an easily locked room. Thankfully, his old lab at S.T.A.R. was more than readily available, and with a little coaxing he was able to use it to his own satisfaction.

But the hardest by far were the remains. Thanks to the efforts of the Batman, all that remained were scant ashes and a few bones; a thigh, and arm, and a skull. They were in turn buried deep within the woods near Gotham, but after some serious investigation he tracked them down.

'I'll have to remember to thank that Witch boy later' he reminded himself as he set the bones on the table. But there was little time to worry about this now. His success was at hand, all he needed was to begin his procedure. Taking a scalpel, he cut a thin line along his palm before squeezing a few drops out. He made sure they landed on the ashes before he quickly exited the room, locking the door. Then, he took to the window to observe the process himself firsthand. At the very least, it would be a scientific marvel.

The effect was minimal at first, initially the drops just settled on the ashes. But then, suddenly it began. Tendrils of flesh and veins suddenly sprouted from the ashes as they enveloped the remaining bones. Tendons, flesh, muscle, all various organs and body parts started to form themselves around the bones. If it wasn't so alluring to watch, Hamilton would have turned away from the macabre sight.

Finally, the transformation was over. In place of the feeble remains there was now a grey, emaciated body. The creature itself had a very grey complexion, with sunken eyes, protruding fangs, and a very obvious bone structure. Its initial motions were very animalistic, and it almost attacked Hamilton outright. However, its attention then moved to the open beaker of blood that Hamilton had left for it.

There was little pause as the creature immediately took the beaker and greedily drank it completely dry. There was a pause before it gave a sigh of relief, wiping its lips and licking the leftovers from its hand. It looked back at the window before approaching the glass again. "And who do I have to thank for my resurrection this time?" he asked, in a cultured voice that seemed unfitting for its visage.

Hamilton collected himself before clearing his throat. "My name is Professor Emil Hamilton, and you must be Count Dracula"

The figure nodded once. "Not that I am ungrateful, but why have you awoken me?"

"Simple, we have a mutual enemy, and it would do us both some good if we could work together to end it" he said plainly.

"Then you as well have had issues with… the Batman" Dracula surmised.

"Yes, as well as his team of vigilante allies, the Justice League"

The vampire lord sneered at this. "Please, it will take more than that to stop me" he hissed before giving Hamilton a calculating look. "I will help you, but only to achieve my own ends. I have one stipulation however"

"That being?"

"My previous servant was most helpful in my endeavours in Gotham. I believe his services would be of use to me again"

Hamilton seemed to consider this. "Very well. I know where to find him after all" he said before unlocking the door and allowing Dracula to step out.

"Forgive me for any tardiness in this endeavour but I need another meal to regain my strength"

"That's… troubling, but to be expected" Hamilton nodded, missing the vampire's smirk before Dracula suddenly grasped his throat tightly. The scientist's eyes widened in fear as he now too late realized his mistake.

"Then you would not mind being the first of my Lost Ones… after all, you did say you wished for my help"

* * *

Oswald Cobblepot was just closing up the Iceberg Lounge after yet another successful night. He locked the door, humming to himself as he pocketed the key. "Wilson, Avery, make sure Nigma gets his reward. His assistance in the acquisition was most helpful" the billionaire smiled before turning. "And make sure that the car gets taken in to the shop tomorrow, it's making that odd rattling sound again"

He waited for their response, but was met with only silence. He searched for them before scowling. "Wilson! Avery! Where the blazes did they get to?" he asked before hearing an all too familiar voice behind him.

"My dear Mister Cobblepot, I allowed your guards to have a nighttime stroll. They seem to be enjoying themselves" the voice chuckled as Penguin turned, and his eyes widened once he saw one of his worst fears; the lord of Vampires himself, back from the grave.

"Ah… it's nice to see you back among the… un-living Count" he chuckled nervously. "Let me guess, you require my help again?"

"Indeed I do. I wish to attempt my previous endeavours again. This time, however, I need to eliminate Batman from the equation first" the vampire lord informed him. Penguin nodded.

"That should be simple enough. He doesn't even know you're back. I think I could lure him into a trap for you" he offered, as Dracula smiled in satisfaction.

* * *

The nature of the trap itself was simple. With Batman having returned to Gotham, all Penguin had to do was lure him out. His plan in that regard was even simpler. He simply broke the window of a bank, and waited inside. As he figured, long before the police ever showed up, the telltale shadow of the dark knight loomed on the far wall.

"Penguin… the Lounge not bringing in enough funds?" he asked.

"Actually, there's someone who's really missed you. He asked me to set this meeting up for him" Penguin chuckled. Batman only had time to widen his eyes before something struck him from behind, sending him crashing through the teller's desk and into the back wall of the bank.

He groaned in pain, before weakly lifting his head. Penguin approached him with a small, yet triumphant smirk. But it was the taller figure behind him that caused Batman any real alarm.

"Ah Batman, it has been far too long" Dracula chuckled. "Time for us to be reacquainted" he said before pouncing upon the prone vigilante.

Penguin at first watched with a morbid sense of joy, before it soon turned to a sickening guilt as he looked away. Once Dracula was finished, he stood back up, a troubled look upon his face. "Something the matter Count?"

"This Justice League… it could pose a problem for my plans" he frowned. "It would be most helpful if I could eliminate them from the equation"

Penguin seemed to nod at this. "Yeah, I can see how that would make sense" he said before thinking himself. Then, as the now Vampire Batman rose to his feet, he had an idea. "Why not have Batman take them out? He knows how they operate, their powers. And probably, their weaknesses"

"A brilliant plan Mr. Cobblepot, truly brilliant" Dracula complimented before looking to Batman. "I am going to reactivate your higher level thinking Batman. You are no longer a mindless drone. I require your assistance in stopping your Justice League while my plans go into motion"

Batman grunted, seemingly trying to resist the control before he reluctantly nodded. "Yes… Master…"

Dracula smirked again before giving a short laugh. "At last, my victory is at hand. No one can stop me now!"

* * *

"So, you fellas been watching the classics in time for Halloween?" Flash asked, as he, Flint and Oliver all sat together in the Watchtower cafeteria

"You know it. Keemia and I are big horror movie buffs. We've watched the Friday the 13 films already, now we're focusing on zombie movies until the big day. That's when we're watching the Michael Myers saga" Flint grinned as Oliver nodded along.

"All good choices, but Dinah and I are going back to the classics. The old Universal movies, you know Frankenstein and Dracula. All that stuff" he said as Flint seemed to shrug.

"Frankenstein I agree with. But I've never been a real Dracula fan" he offered.

"Seriously? What's not to like?" Flash asked.

"I don't know, I just find it hokey" Flint shrugged. "Keemia isn't a fan either. I caught her burning the Twilight series with some friends the other day"

"Now that had to do you proud" Flash joked before all three broke into well-meaning chuckles. Then, Diana walked into the room, once again in her suit from the climate change conference a few weeks previous.

"Got another conference to go to Diana?" Ollie asked as she shook her head, a small smile on her face.

"Not this time. For once Bruce has actually asked me out to dinner"

All three stared at her in shock before the realization registered within them. "Bruce… asked you out? Are you sure you didn't dream that up?" Flint asked.

"Nope" she said happily. "I'm just as surprised as you are, but honestly nothing has made me happier" she said with a small sigh.

"Well if that's the case, congratulations" Ollie grinned. "No one else will believe that, but you enjoy yourself"

"Thank you Ollie, I will. Anyways, I gotta get going if I want to make it on time" she said before waving goodbye and heading out.

"Well, you learn something new every day" Flint mused before finishing his food and standing. "Well I gotta get home. Keemia wants to watch the Romero trilogy tonight"

"Is Z gonna join you two?" Flash asked.

"Nah, she's heading out for Gotham. She has a few shows to do over the week, but she'll be back home in time for Halloween" she said before heading out. "See you guys later"

"Oh, wait!" Ollie called, stopping Flint. "Have you seen Batman lately? He's been off the map for a few days"

"Oh, uh no I haven't seen him" Flint said, frowning. "But then again he hasn't been in Gotham for a while, he's probably just busy. Besides, Diana just said she has a date with him so I would assume he's okay"

"Fair enough. I just hadn't seen him on the Watchtower for a while, so I'd thought I'd ask" Oliver said before Flint finally departed for his movie marathon.

* * *

Diana arrived in Gotham shortly after ten-thirty, as the sun had long since set. The streets were nice and quiet for this time of night, as she walked into the park and waited at the statue for Bruce to arrive. She just leaned against the stone statue, staring out through the park with a frown. It wasn't like Bruce to be late.

Then, she caught the sound of movement. Her head jerked to the side as she heard something scurry about the bushes. Initially she was on the defensive in a fighting stance before she relaxed. "Probably just a cat" she muttered, mentally scolding herself for being startled so easily. Then, as she turned back to face front again, she suddenly saw the caped form of Batman.

"Bruce, as silent as ever" she smiled before frowning again. "You're still in your costume"

"Sorry, Joker pulled a last minute heist" he apologized.

"Ah, I understand. It can't be helped in our line of work" she reasoned before taking note of how he opted to stand off in the shadows. It was, unnerving, but not unlike him. "So, are you ready for a night out?" she asked.

"Of course. I thought first we'd grab a quick bite, then we could go around town together" he offered, as Diana inched ever closer to him.

"That sounds lovely Bruce" she smiled, leaning her head to the side ever so slightly.

"Yes, it does" he nodded, before suddenly lunging.

* * *

It was now only a few days after Dracula had been resurrected. Since his old catacomb lair was still more than serviceable, he opted to return to it with his lost ones in tow. Thanks to Batman's help, his swarm was growing more and more by the day. But that also posed a problem as he was now on borrowed time before his flock was noticed.

That was time he just didn't have, as he still had his grand plan in mind; resurrecting his wife. To that end, he still required a worthy sacrifice. His thoughts were soon broken by Penguin as he walked over to him.

"Batman's returned master, and he's had a rather productive night" he reported.

"That is good news, however it also poses a problem" Dracula scowled before leading Penguin down one of the catacomb's tunnels. "It won't be long until we are discovered. Before that happens, I want to resurrect my wife. I need a sacrifice, and quickly"

"Of course. I'm sure that will be easy enough to come by in Gotham" Penguin nodded before Batman approached them.

"If I may…" he offered. "There is another member of the League in town. She's just arrived, and I think she should be more than sufficient" he offered before handing a photo to Dracula.

Dracula took the photo curiously before analysing it. He slowly smirked more and more as he looked. "She's absolutely perfect, the prime vessel to bring my dear wife back into the world. What is her name?"

Batman gave his own smirk at that. "Zatanna Marko"

* * *

"Yes Flint, the show went well" Zatanna smiled, rolling her eyes as she tied her robe's drawstring shut. She had just finished another sold-out show, and as usual her tricks were a big hit with the audience.

"Yeah, I figured as much" Flint chuckled as he took some popcorn out of the microwave. "They just can't get enough of you"

"I suppose not. Jealous much?" she teased.

"Maybe a little"

She openly laughed at that. "Alright, so what movie are you watching now?"

"Well we just finished the classic Romero trilogy, so we're gonna watch Return of the Living Dead now" Flint explained, pouring the popcorn into two bowls. "Any movie you want us to save for you until you get back?"

She thought for a moment before nodding. "Think you can save Pumpkinhead for when I get back?"

"I know we can" he assured her. "I miss you"

"I miss you too Flint, but I'll be home before you know it" she said softly. "I love you"

"I love you too. Goodnight" he smiled before hanging up and returning to Keemia with the popcorn.

Zatanna smiled warmly before putting her phone down as she adjusted her hair in the mirror. Once she was satisfied, she turned, only to be face to face with Batman. "Whoa, Bruce! I didn't even see you in the mirror" she gasped before giving a small laugh. "So, how can I help you?"

Batman remained silent, only staring at her from the shadows. This quickly started to unnerve her, as she took an involuntary step back. "Bruce… you're scaring me" she said nervously as she then saw another figure. "Diana…?" she questioned, seeing Diana clad in her formal business suit.

She swallowed nervously before looking from the corner of her eye into the mirror. Neither of the two had a reflection. Her eyes widened as she whispered one word. "Vampires…"

"You were correct Batman… she is a remarkable specimen" a new voice greeted, Zatanna turning to see the source. "She will be the perfect vessel for Carmilla"

It didn't take Zatanna long to figure out who this was. "Dracula!" she said in horror before grasping her wand. "Release them from your vampiric curse!"

"So sorry, but I'm afraid that's not an option" the vampire lord replied before exerting his full hypnotic control over her.

She faltered before dropping her wand and passing out as Dracula caught her. "Penguin, make sure we're not followed" he urged the portly villain, who nodded.

"Understood" he said before covering as the four left with Zatanna in tow. However, none of them noticed the fifth figure who watched them with a frown, before they too left urgently.

* * *

"What's the appeal of a graveyard anyway? I never got it" Keemia asked as she idly ate her popcorn. Despite both father and daughter enjoying the movie, there was still room to ask such things.

"I thought teenagers were supposed to like this junk" Flint smirked.

"I already like punk rock and anime, I think I fit enough stereotypes as is" Keemia smirked right back.

"Fair enough" he shrugged before returning to the movie. The zombies had just started to rise out of the graveyard before there was a sudden knock at the door. "Great, who could that be?"

"Maybe it's the tar-man" Keemia joked. "He just wants your brains"

Flint stood up, going to the door before opening it slowly. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Flint, no time to talk. Gotham's been taken over by vampires" Constantine blurted out, not wasting any time with a preamble.

"It's… what?" Flint repeated.

"You heard me. There's vampires in Gotham. Someone had the bright idea to resurrect Dracula and now the whole city is going under" the sorcerer clarified. "I need your help to take it back. The League's invulnerable heavy-hitters are in deep space, and we've already lost Batman and Wonder Woman to the horde"

"Do you at least have a plan for what we're going to do?"

"Yes, I have a team together to help. But we have to move, quickly. Dracula's going to use Zatanna's body to resurrect his wife. If we don't stop him, Z's gonna be lost forever" John said seriously, as Flint's gaze hardened.

"Alright, let's get this under way" he nodded. "Keemia, I'm going out"

"I heard you dad" she replied, a worried expression on her face. "Please, just bring her home safe"

"I will kiddo. I will" he nodded before he and the Hellblazer left in a portal of fire to the streets of Gotham city.

* * *

Once they arrived, Flint turned to Constantine impatiently. "Alright, where's this team you were talking about?"

"Right here" he said before they turned to see three new figures. Of the three, Flint only recognized one, and even then it was only a passing recognition. Her name was Kimiyo Hoshi, and she was a member of the Justice League known as Dr. Light. She possessed the power to control and manipulate light, much like her name suggested. However, the other two were complete mysteries.

"Alright, I know Dr. Light here, but the other two are new to me" Flint stated. John simply shrugged before lighting his cigarette.

"The redhead is Emily Briggs, alias Looker. The raven-haired beauty is Nocturna. Both are vampires, both want to kill Dracula"

Looker was, true to John's description, a red head. Her long hair was startlingly close to the colour of blood, and her lips matched it perfectly. Her skin was a very pale white, almost silver, and it made her crystal blue eyes stand out all the more. She wore what appeared to be a red corset, with a floral rose design, and over top was a black leather jacket, and a black choker. Her pants were black as well, and very clearly leather, and she finished the ensemble with leather boots, two silvery belts, and golden bangle bracelets.

Nocturna's ensemble was far simpler. She wore a long flowing, strapless black dress with slits in the side to expose her legs, and long opera gloves that came halfway between her elbow and shoulder. Her finger tips clearly had longer than normal nails, and they even appeared to be ever so slightly clawed. Her eyes were a bluish-white, not nearly as crystal as Looker's, but they had a misty quality to them. Finally, she had black platform shoes, almost like flats, which only served to show more of her flawless skin.

"Okay, I gotta ask why" Flint mused, now interested.

"I just hate him, and I hate being a vampire" Looker shrugged.

Nocturna scowled, folding her arms. "He stole my wife Carmilla from me, and I want her back" she said tersely.

"Right, now that introductions are out of the way, put these in" Constantine said, handing out earpieces. "These will keep us in contact with our eye in the sky"

"And who might that be?" Dr. Light asked curiously as they put their earpieces in.

"An excellent question my dear" a voice crackled over the piece. "But then again, it's no riddle"

Flint blinked before turning to Constantine. "You want us to work with the Riddler?"

"He tracked the vampire's movements and managed to find their hive's location. Now let's shut up and head out, we gotta stop them" he urged before leading the four after him on a long trek to the Gotham Cemetery.

"According to the previous week's patterns, this is where the vampires are congregating" Riddler explained to them as they stood outside the entrance to a large crypt.

"So, what's the plan going in?" Flint asked as John nodded, finishing his smoke.

"Rather simple. You, Looker, Nocturna, and I hold off the hordes and subdue them. Then, Light here can channel sunlight to destroy Dracula once and for all" he explained simply.

"That's it?" Flint asked. "And what about the other vampires, what about Batman and Wonder Woman?" he asked seriously.

"Once Dracula's dead it will act like a chain reaction to end their vampirism. Sheesh, it's almost like you don't read anything about vampires" Constantine smirked as Looker shook her head.

"Its times like this I wish Andrew was helping us"

"Yeah, well Andrew is busy in England so get over it" John snipped before leading them into the catacombs.

* * *

"Everything is prepared here master" Penguin said before gesturing to the tomb which had been turned into a makeshift altar. Zatanna's body was carefully laid inside as Dracula nodded his approval.

"Good, good. Now, nothing will stop me from…" he started before trailing off as he looked into the tunnels. "We are not alone. Someone's coming" he growled before looking to his hordes. "Go, stop them! We cannot allow them to interfere!" he hissed.

Immediately, the numerous vampires took off to head off the intruders. They crawled along the walls, scurrying along the sides of the tunnels. Penguin watched the, still very unnerved by everything.

'God I hope they stop him' Penguin told himself mentally before turning to Dracula. "Did you want me to stay here master?"

"Yes. You are to be my last line of defence in case they somehow get past the horde" he nodded before turning to begin the ceremony. "Now, let's begin"

* * *

Further back in the tunnels, Looker suddenly stopped the group, cocking her head from side to side. Nocturna followed suit and the two immediately went on the defensive. "They're coming. All of them"

"Alright then, let's get ready. No need'ta be worried about hurtin' them" Constantine assured them as magical energy started to swirl around his fingers. "They'll be fine once they're back to normal, and they can't be hurt as vampires"

Flint saw the approaching horde before grimacing. "Well that makes me feel better" he sighed before forming two mallets.

"Just remember; no slaying" Looker reminded them before they all charged at the horde. Constantine used most of his magic to keep protective charms on Dr. Light, while Nocturna knocked away vampires that got too close. Flint charged in, swinging his mallets through the crowd, while Looker used her strength and speed to keep them back. When it became obvious that they were far to close in terms of power, she immediately switched to her telekinesis as she hurled boulders and stalactites to keep them at a distance.

What Flint immediately noticed about the vampires was their sheer strength and speed. He had fought other metahumans with similar powers, so it wasn't too out of place for him. But their numbers were what made the difference. A whole horde of these beings was quickly proving to be more work than he was anticipating, and it made staying in his sand-form an absolute must.

"Holy crap, I am never saying another bad thing about vampires. Ever!" he said, quickly side-stepping another vampire that had leapt at him, before swinging his mallets through a crowd, and then bursting through in an explosion of sand to where John was staying close to Dr. Light's side.

"I know the feelin' Flint, I don't think I've ever seen this many vamps in one place" the sorcerer agreed as Dr. Light conjured a massive beam of light to drive away one of the crowds.

"John we don't have the time for this!" she said, narrowly dodging another one. "There's too many, and we have to get to Dracula fast!"

"I've got an idea" Looker said, holding a vampire in a headlock tight. "But it'll take a lot of my power"

"At this point, I'll take what we can get Emily!" Constantine said, binding several vampires in chains.

She nodded before tossing the vampire she was holding aside. Then she summoned as much of her telepathic power as she could, her eyes turning a coal black before she held her arms out to the advancing waves of vampires and let out one barking order; " _ **STOP!**_ "

At once, one large telepathic message was sent out as the horde immediately halted their actions. They instead recoiled, turning to face Looker expectantly. She panted from the exertion before nodding. "Now… sleep" she said. Once again, they obeyed, all collapsing on the ground in an involuntary sleep.

Seeing them all fall, the group made a sigh of relief before gathering together and moving forward. Flint surveyed the crowd of sleeping vampires, taking note of Batman and Wonder Woman among them. "Damn… you really did get all of them" he grinned before one last vampire attacked them from behind. However, before it could get close it was struck over the back of the head and knocked unconscious.

"Not quite, but then again, that's why I'm here" the newly arrived Riddler announced before tipping the brim of his bowler hat to them. In his right hand was his cane, however it appeared to be a little longer than usual.

"New cane there Eddie?" Flint asked.

"Indeed Mr. Marko, this one happens to be specially made" he replied before twisting the question mark on the top, which allowed him to pull out the blade hidden inside. "Titanium, plated in silver. Perfect for slaying unholy monsters"

"Okay, I wanted to ask before, so I'll ask now; why is the Riddler helping us, and why does he know your identity Flint?" Dr. Light asked with a frown.

"Simply put, this vampire menace is too dangerous to be left around, no offence to the lovely ladies here" he assured. "As for my history with Mr. Marko, we go for drinks every so often"

"It's true. Found this pub in downtown Miami, turns out Eddie here frequents it. We just use it to talk about our usual frustrations" Flint shrugged.

"That's interesting and all, but we need to go" Nocturna pressed. "Dracula's success is at hand, and we have little time to waste now"

"Master, they've defeated the horde! They're coming!" Penguin yelled, running up to the altar where Dracula's ceremony was underway. Dracula snarled in rage, checking to see if Penguin's claim was correct. Indeed, he found that all of his horde was now in a forced slumber.

He looked at the body of Zatanna, the ritual now beginning before he turned to his servant. "The ritual is beginning. Make sure it doesn't end. I'll deal with them myself"

"Are you sure about that master?" Penguin asked nervously.

"I am more than sure. How could they possibly hope to stop me?" he scoffed. "I am the lord of all vampires, the ruler of the night eternal!"

"And the disgusting fiend who stole my wife!" Nocturna hissed as she and the others had finally entered the ritual chamber"

"Ah, Natalia Mitternacht. Not content with collecting vagrant children anymore?" he asked, almost bemused before slowly approaching them. "It is no matter. Carmilla may have been your wife… but she is my servant now. And I will not rest until she's brought back into this world"

"Not using my wife's soul you won't!" Flint shouted before charging at the vampire lord and swinging two large axes. Dracula easily dodged him before swatting him aside.

"Please, you are nothing" he sneered before the others charged. Nocturna's own rage proved to work against her, as he easily tossed her aside. He swatted Riddler back into a wall with minimal effort before tackling Constantine to the ground. "Ah, a sorcerer"

"Yep, that's me. Careful though, I got tricks" Constantine laughed before cracking his own silver filling out and spitting it in Dracula's eye. The vampire hissed in pain before jumping back, grasping his face. Constantine chuckled before standing back up and spitting out a glob of blood. "Got that feels vile"

While Dracula was distracted, Flint got his second wind and hit him repeatedly in the chest with his axes. Dracula doubled over, right into Looker's waiting fist as she struck him hard with an uppercut which knocked him prone on the round.

"Light, now!" she yelled before the doctor nodded.

"Right!" she agreed before channeling as much light as she could and striking the vampire lord head on. He yelled in pain, and Kimiyo smirked, thinking they'd won. However, he suddenly launched forward and threw back into Riddler as the man weakly attempted to stand again.

"You… are truly an irritating group of individuals" he said, slowly standing straight again. The light clearly did some serious damage as his skin looked more sallow, some of it peeling away. His eyes had sunken in as well, one of them burned away by Constantine's silver filling, and his fangs were bared in an animalistic fashion. 'The only hope you had was the Batman… but now where is he? You are all helpless!"

"I'd like to see him say that to Superman" Flint muttered.

"Now prepare, for the reign of the vampire to begin again!" he cackled madly.

"Hey boss" Penguin cut in, calling the attention of Dracula. The shorter man held his umbrella tight before aiming it at the vampire lord. "I quit!"

With that, he pierced the umbrella forward, the tip bursting into Dracula's chest. He gasped in unexpected pain before roughly tearing it out. However, his skin rippled and burned where it touched him.

"Do you like it? I had it commission after the first time you controlled me… its silver" he smirked as Dracula stumbled towards him.

"You… traitor!" he snarled, attempting to grab the shorter villain. However, his wrist were suddenly grasped and broken by Nocturna.

"My wife will return with your assistance… but it shall be your life-force that brings her back to this world!" she declared before throwing the now weak and crippled Dracula towards the slab.

He collided with it roughly, groaning in pain, before looking up to see Flint removing Zatanna from the altar. "Sounds like a plan to me" the Sandman nodded before Looker tossed Dracula on the slab. In an instant, the ceremony began anew as a white light shot out of Dracula's mouth and started to form the ghost of Carmilla Karnstein.

"No…. no! **NO!** _ **"**_ he yelled as his life drained away, his skin yet again being reduced to dust as his bones withered and the life-force of Dracula flew out. The heroes covered their eyes from the bright light as Carmilla seemed to screech, letting lose an unholy scream before her body took a physical form and she collapsed on the ground.

Her clothing was ripped right out of the 19th century, and she slowly rose to her feet, grasping her head. "Vhat… Vhat happened, vhere am I?" she asked, her Romanian accent thick and cultured. Nocturna immediately rushed forward before wrapping her in a hug.

"Beloved… oh you're back! I have freed you from that bastard king of the night!" she declared as Carmilla held her close.

"Natalia… oh my dear Natalia, how I have longed to see you again" she whispered before capturing her in a kiss.

The assembled heroes gathered back together, clutching their wounded prides as they watched the reunited couple.

"Now, come with me. You have missed quite a deal of advances, and we have a lot of catching up to do" Nocturna laughed before the two turned into bats and flew out of the cave.

"Now ain't that sweet?" Flint asked before turning to Penguin. "Hey Penguin, thanks for the save there"

"Oh it was my pleasure. As much fun as that was, I'm afraid I must return to the Iceberg Lounge. After retrieving my bodyguards of course" he said before he walked out of the cave.

"I believe I should leave as well, after all the vampires will have turned back to normal now. I would hate to have Batman see me here" Riddler added before walking off, idly humming to himself as he did. "Riddle me this, riddle me that… who's afraid of a big, black Bat?"

"I have to go too" Dr. Light sighed. "I put Imako and Yasu to bed, but I bet they're up watching scary movies already" she sighed before saying her goodbyes and departing. At that moment, Zatanna slowly started to stir, blinking a few times as she looked up at Flint's face.

"Flint, what's going on? Why am I in your arms? Shouldn't you be in Miami?" she asked.

"Sorry 'bout that Z" Constantine interrupted, lighting a cigarette. "Had a bit of vampire trouble" he shrugged. Before she could inquire more, Wonder Woman and Batman stumbled in before walking over to the heroes.

"I assume you stopped Dracula?" Batman asked, wasting no time.

"Yep, we did" Flint nodded, omitting the assistance they got from Penguin and Riddler. "No need to worry"

The dark knight's eyes narrowed before he nodded and turned, walking off. As he did however, Wonder Woman wrapped her arm around his. "You know, we still need to have our date…" she said coyly as they walked out.

"I guess that wraps everything up here" Flint shrugged. "Thanks for the help John. You too Emily. It was nice meeting you"

The model nodded, shaking his hand after he had set Zatanna down. "It was my pleasure. It's not often I get to do something of this level of importance. Bet you have a new outlook on vampires now, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess I do" he chuckled. "As soon as I get home, I'm putting on Z's collection of the Hammer Dracula movies. Now that's a vampire" he smirked.

Then, they would soon be met with a bright glowing ankh as Dr. Fate and the Shade appeared before them. John snorted before stamping out his cigarette. "You two are a little late to the party aren't you? What do ye want with us?"

"Much" Dr. Fate said cryptically before the Shade took over.

"It has come to our attention that there are some forces in this world that the normal Justice League is ill equipped to deal with. After your display today, and your impressive work in the past, we have a proposition for you"

"A proposition? What kind of proposition?" Looker asked skeptically.

"A new division of the Justice League" Fate said. "A new… darker division"

* * *

Professor Emil Hamilton couldn't explain why he was in the Gotham catacombs at first, but soon enough the memories flooded back to him. He had foolishly thought that the vampire lord Dracula would even consider helping him. It was sheer luck that the Justice League had managed to stop him again.

The Justice League stopped him… that gave Hamilton cause to think. He was being unreasonable wasn't he? After everything that had occurred between him and Superman, the years of friendship and trust, he had thrown it all away and for what? For one instance where he got scared. Where Darkseid made him fearful.

No more. No more, he decided, would he fight the heroes of this world. He was going to help them again, he was going to be a better man, to make up for his mistakes.

And he would start by apologizing to Superman.

* * *

 **And there we go!**

 **I always found it odd how they mentioned Carmilla was Dracula's wife in Batman vs Dracula (the main inspiration for this piece. It is now canon in this world, shut up). After all the character was written originally as a lesbian. With Nocturna having attempted to seduce Batwoman in the past it seemed to fit that they would pair together. Why else would Nocturna want to kill Dracula.**

 **Another fun fact, Nocturna was supposed to appear in Batman: The Animated Series, but the censors wouldn't allow them to use a vampire. Unfortunate, as her design was freaking great! It happens to be the basis for her appearance here.**

 **Andrew Bennet, another DC vampire hero, also gets a reference. This will be important with what Fate had to inform the heroes of.**

 **Makes you wonder what Blade would have done here, doesn't it?**

 **Hamilton being the cause of this was always in the plans (if Eiling got to try for revenge, why not him?), but his survival of the ordeal was a last minute change. He has seen the error of his ways and will try to turn over a new leaf in the future. We'll see how that goes.**

 **But in any case, get ready. Next time the League and the Legion go head to dead, with an acrobat's ghost caught in the middle.**

 **As always, be sure to read and review.**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	34. Dead Reckoning

**And I'm back with the latest installment of Sandman Unlimited!**

 **My schedule as of late has been very busy, but I managed to get another chapter out for you guys so I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Of course, the countdown to the end of this fic has begun, but I promise every step of the way will be worth it. Especially the finale.**

 **But first, on to the reviews:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: I'm honestly not sure if Flint ever came across the Dracula from his world. As for Vixen, she's already with Vigilante.**

 **demonic hellfire: Just like in the traditional B:TAS, the first Batgirl was Barbara and the first Robin was Dick Grayson**

 **Lucian Naruto: Yep, Hamilton is not a figure to be loved. He is meant to be hated, but he can at least try to earn forgiveness... key word being try.**

 **Lovingh3art: Oh he definitely will. We'll see how that goes when we get there**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Thank you again for another extensive review my friend. The formation of the Justice League Dark is entirely for the introduction of other supernatural characters, particularly the Vertigo characters. As well, I really enjoyed the Outsiders, so Looker was a no-brainer. That's also something funny, that the writers for Batman vs Dracula made Carmilla to be Dracula's bride when she was written to be a lesbian (Over fifty years before Dracula). The more obvious pick for that role should have been Elizabeth Bathory, but that's just me. Hopefully you enjoy this next chapter just as much.**

 **Celgress: Anytime**

 **Day-O: Hammer films are the best, period. I had to mention them in this Halloween tale.**

 **Thanks again for the reviews be sure to keep them coming.**

 **And now, for the disclaimer:**

 **I own nothing but the idea. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel. The Justice League and all related characters are owned by DC Comics. Death is owned by Neil Gaiman, Vertigo, and DC Comics. Please support the official releases.**

 **Now, on with the show!**

* * *

Hidden far away from the prying eyes of the world, there exists a city deep within the Tibetan mountains known as Nanda Parbat. Within the walls of the city there exists a sacred order of monks, who have pledged their lives entirely to their lifestyle and to the care of this hidden place. The order believes itself to have been tasked by Rama Kushna herself, and as such they carry out their duty with the utmost reverence.

Among this hidden sect, there was no more respected figure than their master. He was a rather short, elderly man. However he was revered for his knowledge and expertise. But now, in his older age, he no longer took part in their training exercises. Rather, he instead spent his time in meditation in order to achieve his next stage of enlightenment.

However today, he had other matters to attend to.

"I know you are there, Boston Brand" he said, his voice weathered, but wise. His eyes never once opened as he continued to meditate.

As he spoke, the spectral form of a man began to appear before him. This was the eponymous Boston Brand, otherwise known as Deadman. His skin was a pale white, and his eyes expressionless. He wore a red outfit, reminiscent of an acrobat that clung tightly to his sallow skin and skeletal form.

"What's the point of being a flippin' ghost if you can't even sneak up on people?" Deadman groaned, his Brooklyn accent thick as he spoke. "For that matter, what's the point of me being a ghost period? It's been over a year since I caught the man who murdered me"

The master kept his eyes closed, but hummed to himself thoughtfully. "So, your work here is done? You are ready to pass on to the next level?"

"I don't know what 'ready' means, but I feel like I've done my time" the ghost explained in exasperation.

"And yet… here you are"

Deadman scoffed at his Master's response. "Here you are? What kinda lousy wisdom is 'here you are'?"

"If you seek knowledge, you have but to ask" his Master responded calmly.

Deadman looked at him for a moment, almost ready to burst in anger, before sighing and looking down, disappointed. "I've avenged my own death… Why am I still here?"

"Your destiny is not to avenge your own death" his Master said cryptically. His eyes slowly opened, a look of resentment, and yet acceptance in them. "Your destiny is to avenge _mine_ "

His student reeled back, shocked. "What?"

* * *

Not far from the temple, atop the peak of a snow-capped mountain, stood a single lone figure. He was a guard of the sacred city of Nanda Parbat. The wind blew fiercely around him, sending snow cascading through the mountains as he surveyed the slopes below. In the raging chaos of the blizzard, there was an oddly uniform stillness. This stillness would be broken as a swirling portal opened before him, and several figures stepped out.

Leading the new arrivals was Lex Luthor. A confident smirk was borne on his face as Bizarro, Black Manta, Atomic Skull, and a large muscular woman named Rampage stood alongside him. The last arrival was the sorceress Tala, who used her magical energy to enlarge the portal, allowing for a great number of Black Manta's troops to arrive as well, each of them heavily armed. Manta in particular looked around the mountain, unimpressed.

" _Grodd never sends us anyplace nice_ " he complained idly.

The sentry frowned, sensing the evil intent from these new arrivals. In one smooth motion he drew his sword before staring them down from his perch above their heads. "This humble one begs your forgiveness… but to enter this place, the right must be earned"

Manta barely waited for him to finish talking when he raised his wrist and fired several quick stingers into the man.

" _Keep the change_ "

* * *

Inside the walls of the holy city, the monks heard the deep, reverberating sounds of a great impact striking the doors. The entire wall seemed to shake before the doors finally shattered inwards, a self-satisfied Rampage revealed as she rubbed her knuckles victoriously and lead the group of villains inside the city.

Despite the grim composure on the faces of the monks, they all submissively stood aside, keeping out of the way of the assembled villains as they began their march through the city. Within minutes, Luthor and his cabal had made it to the steps that lead towards the large temple in the center of Nanda Parbat. It was halfway up these stairs that a single monk, a young boy, stood in their way and stared down at them.

"This humble one begs your forgiveness, but no outsider is permitted in the temple of Nanda Parbat" he explained calmly. Luthor sneered in response before nodding to Atomic Skull. Skull marched up the stairs, cracking his knuckles.

"That's cute kid. Now get out of the way, or I'll spank you" the villain threatened. The boy seemed unfazed however, and so Skull raised his fist to throw his punch. The boy however, caught his punch easily, much to the surprise of the assembled villains.

"This would also not be permitted" he said before easily kicking Atomic Skull in the jaw, sending him straight up into the air. The monk followed this by jumping after him, and sending Skull crashing back down to the other villains with a single push from his open palm.

" _Little Bruce Lee's got your number. Lucky thing you got us for backup_ " Manta chuckled before taking notice as the other monks slowly started to encircle them.

"This humble one would not presume to fight you alone" the boy said, a small smirk coming to his face as Manta's soldiers suddenly looked uneasy at the prospect of fighting dozens of monks, especially if they were in equal in skill to the boy. However that was just the soldiers. The villains themselves weren't too worried, and Rampage especially had an undisguised look of malicious glee on her face.

"Now things are getting interesting" the large woman grinned as Luthor simply raised a single eyebrow in response. "Take them down" he ordered before the two factions of the villains and monks collided in battle. Manta's forces were for the most part taken down swiftly, while Atomic Skull and Rampage easily cut swathes through the monks after they stopped underestimating them. Luthor simply hung back with Tala and Bizarro, as the sorceress conjured a barrier to deflect their attacks. Despite their strength, Luthor didn't want to take any risks.

"Bizarro, you despise me right?"

The clone nodded at that. "Uh-huh, Bizarro hate Luthor, he not do anything for him"

"Good" Luthor nodded before correcting himself. "I mean bad. Anyway, take care of those monks" he ordered before Bizarro suddenly joined in the fray, helping to turn the tide in the favour of Luthor and the villains. With that distraction, Luthor ascended the stairs with Tala before meeting Manta at the entrance of the temple.

They opened the doors to the sanctum, stepping inside where they saw the master waiting for them. However, Deadman was also waiting for them, his incorporeal body unable to be seen.

" _Stand aside or you're dead_ " Manta ordered.

"In the fullness of time… we are all dead" the master answered sagely, while Manta fired a rapid volley of stingers at the older man. The master was not to be taken lightly though, as he easily spun his staff, catching all of the stingers as they embedded deep into the wood. The villains stood dumbfounded as the master gave a small smirk, and Deadman pumped a fist victoriously. "This is not the way to end my life"

" _No…_ " Black Manta conceded before raising his blasters to the ceiling. " _An old man like you should be buried!_ " he declared before firing into the ceiling with his explosive shots. The structure slowly creaked before tumbling down, burying the master under the rubble. Then there was a silence that followed as the dust began to settle. Afterwards, there was a roar of defiance as the monks suddenly fought back with even greater fervour, hoping to avenge their fallen master.

Deadman floated down to the pile of rubble, trying in vain to move away the boulders before instead passing through them, hoping to find his master. It wasn't long before he came upon his master's fallen body, somehow still breathing, but barely. The old man looked at Boston, a sudden calm on his face.

"Do not… Do not waste your time Boston Brand…" the master coughed weakly. "This portion of my journey… has come to an end"

"But… but…" Deadman protested, not wanting to see his master pass on.

"We will… meet… again…" the master finished before closing his eyes one last time, and passing on.

Boston hung his head low in shame before hearing the sound of the fighting outside again. Rage filled him as he saw Rampage tossing monks aside with little effort. One thought passed through his mind and the ghost shot forward before entering Rampage's body, easily taking her over. When Deadman possessed a person he had full control of their body… and their powers. Then he saw Manta, the one responsible for killing his master guarding the door to the sanctum. He gave a loud roar before charging forwards and punching Manta head on.

The aquatic villain was sent flying into the sanctum, where he collided violently with Luthor, knocking them both to the ground. Lex groaned in anger before standing up shakily. "Rampage, what is wrong with you?!" he demanded, seeing the large orange woman seething in anger.

Tala focused her power before looking at their ally, her eyes glowing a faint purple before she turned to Lex. "She's been possessed" she realized before launching two bands at Rampage. They were pure energy so they passed through her harmlessly. However they did manage to ensnare Boston Brand, causing him to release the villain as he was cast to the floor and bound in the chains.

It was to Deadman's horrified surprise that these bands could actually hurt him, the first pain he'd felt since he became a ghost all those years ago. And now he was helpless to watch as Luthor approached a large stone statue with three faces, and removed the golden orb that floated between its palms.

"This is it" Tala said in reverence, a victorious smirk on her face. "The Heart of Nanda Parbat"

As Lex removed the orb, the fighting outside immediately stopped. Then every monk fell to the ground as small green globes flew out of their bodies, the energy converging on the sphere in Luthor's hands. Deadman listened, hearing the screams of the monks' very souls as they were sucked into the heart. It would be a sound to haunt him for years to come.

"We have what we came for" Tala declared seriously. "It's time to leave" and with that, she flicked her wrist. In an instant, all of the villains, and Manta's troops disappeared in a flash of purple light, leaving the ancient city. As well, once she was gone, her spell afflicting Deadman ended, sending the spirit to the ground. He looked around him at the destruction before sinking to his knees in failure.

Nanda Parbat… the monks who protected it… his elderly master and oldest friend… they were all gone.

* * *

Back at the headquarters of the Secret Society, Grodd was greeted by the long awaited return of the associates he had sent to retrieve the Heart of Nanda Parbat. Once there, Tala immediately took the heart from Luthor's hands before kneeling before Grodd and offering it to him.

"I have done as you asked Lord Grodd" she said respectfully as Luthor sneered in disgust.

'Lord Grodd? Oh now that's just too much' he thought to himself before folding his arms with a scowl. "Get off your knees woman!"

"Not until my master says so" Tala responded with a small smirk. Manta inwardly gagged, as a few of the other villains around them looked similarly disgusted.

"Excellent work my dear" Grodd smiled before taking the orb from her. "You may rise"

"You're pathetic, debasing yourself like that" Luthor derided to her.

"I owe Grodd everything. I would still be trapped in that mirror, or worse, enslaved by CADMUS, if he hadn't freed me" the sorceress defended, hanging on Grodd's arm.

Manta finally managed to put his disgust away as he shook his head, looking to Tala. " _When Giganta gets out of prison, she ain't gonna appreciate you hanging onto her boyfriend like that_ "

It was true. In the wake of their failure at the Viking ship, Giganta had been arrested while most of the other villains escaped. Firefly had left the Society for Gotham, citing something about being employed by Black Mask, while Shark had been tossed back into the Suicide Squad by Waller. That one in particular hadn't sat well with Frost, but Grodd managed to reign in her anger before she jeopardized their operation.

"That's her problem" Tala smirked, rubbing Grodd's chest affectionately. "Giganta's not nearly enough woman for Grodd"

"True" Grodd nodded jovially, a triumphant smirk on his face as Tala seemed to purr in contentment. Luthor inwardly swallowed his disgust, trying to suppress his temptation to shoot the two of them right there, an action made harder by some of the desperate looks the other villains were giving him.

"If you're quite finished demonstrating what an… alpha-male you are, maybe you'd care to explain what you intend to do with that thing" Luthor pressed, trying to call their attention back to the matter at hand.

"I already told you" Grodd chuckled. "But you won't accept it. You don't believe in magic"

"It's not a matter of belief" Luthor scoffed. "I'm just not accustomed to working with something I don't fully understand"

"Well Lex, as long as the amplifier you built for me works…"

"And it _**does**_ " Luthor interrupted with a scowl.

"Then consider this an exotic power source. You don't need to understand anything more" Grodd shrugged, a confident smirk on his face.

Luthor frowned, knowing what Grodd's intention was. Over the last few days he discovered that Grodd was intending to send some sort of energy across the globe, but the purpose was still unclear to him. On top of this, Grodd seemed to be ignoring one crucial fact. "You can't produce a carrier wave of the amplitude you're talking about with this building's cloaking field generator!"

"So you've convinced me" Grodd shrugged. "I don't intend to use our field generator"

Luthor looked at him in shock. "You're planning to _build_ one?!" he asked incredulously.

"Luthor, Luthor, Luthor…" Grodd chuckled, chastising Luthor almost like he were a child. "Why build when we can take what we want?" he asked, before glancing among the other villains. "Gentleman, shall we go?"

* * *

Boston continued to stare at the floor, still numb to the shock of having lost everyone he held dear just a few minutes prior. He was not allowed to grieve for long before he was interrupted by a new presence. Behind him, a spiral of energy suddenly appeared with the appearance of eyes and lips, both a faded pink. Upon recognizing the entity he gave a disdainful sneer.

"Rama Kushna… just like you to show up too late to help" he spat.

" _Your impertinence is refreshing as always_ " the goddess responded evenly. " _But have a care; the gods are capricious_ "

"What do you want from me?" the ghost asked with a sigh. "The master is dead… they're all dead!"

" _Do not presume to lecture me on the nature of reality!_ " she chastised dangerously, a powerful force she exuded knocking Deadman back. " _The monks have not yet passed from this reality_ "

Boston then felt a surge of hope within him at her words. "They're… they're alive? Like… a coma?" he asked carefully.

" _If that is as close to the truth as you are capable of comprehending…_ " the Goddess replied. " _You must retrieve the heart of Nanda Parbat, or they will remain trapped forever in this state. I have spoken_ " she commanded, before the energy dissipated and she disappeared.

Boston stared at the empty space she once occupied, the hope was soon joined by doubt. 'How the hell am I supposed to do that?' he wondered before flying out of the city to begin his quest. 'I think I'll need some help…And I know just who to ask'

* * *

"Alright, I think that's the last of them" Flint said with a sigh, before rubbing his knuckles idly. He had just spent the last few hours filing away reports for the week alongside Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. At first he didn't think it would be that bad, but after a few hours of non-stop writing, he now realised why Flash never bothered coming to work on these days.

"They're all filed" Batman confirmed as Flint gave a small sigh of relief.

"That's good. I'm too young for carpal tunnel" he complained while Superman shook his head with a chuckle.

"Is Watchtower duty really that bad?" the man of steel asked.

"Well it finally allowed me to learn why Flash is never here at nine-thirty on a Wednesday" Flint snarked, looking at the clock which betrayed how long they had been working on filing the reports.

"Well now that we're done, what do you guys say we get something to eat?" Wonder Woman offered. "We hardly ever spend time together when we're not working"

"Sounds like a good idea" Superman nodded. "But I'm tired of cafeteria food"

"We could always go out to eat. With the teleporter we could go literally anywhere" Flint nodded before they all turned to look at Batman. The detective stared at them blankly before answering.

"I'd like to, but I've been away from Gotham for two long" he said simply as Flint inwardly groaned.

'He spent a month there after we killed Dracula, and it's only been three months since then. Isn't that enough?!' Flint thought tiredly, as Superman rolled his eyes. Before either the two of them could answer though, Wonder Woman stepped forward and gently placed her hand on his arm, calling Batman's focus to her.

"Bruce…" she said before surprising both Flint and Superman; she tilted her head down, pouted her bottom lip ever so slightly, before batting her eyelashes at him.

Wonder Woman was giving him puppy-dog eyes.

Batman looked at her for a moment before turning to Superman. "Where would you suggest?"

Wonder Woman gave him puppy-dog eyes… and it worked.

"I… did that… really just happen?" Flint asked, still trying to process what was happening while Superman had only just recovered from his jaw dropping.

After a few seconds though, the Kryptonian was back to his previous state as he grinned broadly. "Well, I know a burger place in Metropolis that has the best fries on the East Coast, and the milkshakes are so thick- I need your help!" he suddenly blurted out, his voice taking on a distinctive Brooklyn accent.

The others stared at him in confusion before Flint spoke up. "Well, Clark's having a stroke. Can Kryptonians do that?"

"It's a matter of vengeance" 'Superman' continued. "Now, don't be alarmed. But I'm not really Superman, I'm actually…"

"A ghost inhabiting his body" Batman interrupted. "Is that you Boston?"

"Hiya bats" 'Superman' greeted jovially. "When I'm working, people call me Deadman"

"You know this… ghost?" Wonder Woman asked uncertainly.

"Yeah. Batman helped me solve my own murder a while back. Now, I need your help again" the now identified Deadman explained.

"You'll give the boy-scout back when you're done, right?" Flint asked

"Relax, he doesn't even know I'm in here" the ghost grinned as Batman nodded.

"We can't see or hear him otherwise. Once he leaves, Superman will be fine"

"It's like he says" Deadman/Superman confirmed cheerfully before Batman turned back to the ghost-possessed Superman.

"Why are you still around? I thought once your murder was solved your exile from the afterlife was ended"

"You and me both" Deadman/Superman groaned. "You know how they say no good deed goes unpunished? I guess I shot my mouth off to the wrong deity"

"Don't tell me you smart-mouthed Death, she's a sweetheart" Flint half-joked.

"Nah, no such luck. I mean, she is a sweetie, I was talking about Rama Kushna. Now there's a frigid bi-" Deadman/Superman started before Wonder Woman cut him off.

"What's this about?" the Amazon asked.

Deadman/Superman looked at them grimly at that. "A bunch of supervillains busted into Nanda Parbat and stole a mystic totem filled with the souls of hundreds of monks… and they killed the master"

The second the words had escaped his lips. Batman turned slowly. Flint and Wonder Woman watched him with worry as the dark knight detective placed his hands on the table and bowed his head low.

"Batman?" Wonder Woman whispered, approaching him slowly before placing her hand on his gently. He gave the smallest of nods, almost imperceptible, but it was enough to convey his gratitude.

"He knew the master even before I did" Deadman/Superman explained as Batman nodded again.

"He was one of my martial arts teachers, when I was training for… this" he said quietly, gesturing to his cape.

"Don't worry bats, we'll avenge him" Flint assured his friend.

"With all the power in this body, it'd be easy to punish the people responsible, if I could find them" Deadman/Superman nodded before Batman suddenly stood up straight, his resolve back in full force as he gave the Deadman-possessed Superman a sharp glare.

"That's not the master's way, or yours. We'll find them and see that justice is done, not vengeance" Batman said tersely before leading the group away out of the room. Wonder Woman fell into step alongside Deadman before offering a small smile.

"Let's go up to ops and see if you can't pick the bad guys out of a photo array" she offered.

* * *

After a quick trip upstairs, and explaining the situation to Mr. Terrific, the group sat down before pulling out several files full of villains that the League had encountered over the years. It was an intensive process, but after a gruelling search, Deadman had identified every villain except for one. The identity of the purple haired sorceress was still giving them trouble.

"You're sure this isn't the sorceress?" Wonder Woman asked, holding up a photo of Circe. She was the only sorceress known to the league that had purple hair, and Diana was sure this would fit her usual operative style. But the ghost inhabiting Superman simply shook his head.

"Nope. But all the rest of 'em are right on though"

"This is the first sign of Luthor since Blackhawk island" Flint mused, looking at the photo of the bald billionaire. "And with this team up, that worries me. I guess Thinker was a red-herring in all of this"

"What's he up to?" Batman wondered as Wonder Woman looked over the photos again.

"This seems like it might be bigger than Luthor" the amazon remarked worriedly. "Agent Faraday told me that Black Manta had escaped prison a few days ago, and now Bizarro shows up again? And all the odd teams of villains…"

"Silver Banshee with Metallo, Thinker as a red-herring. Not to mention their minds all shut down when we try to make them talk" Sandman added.

"Do you guys remember what J'onn was able to pull from Giganta's mind before it shut down?" Mr. Terrific asked.

"Grodd" Batman said with a scowl, the truth slowly becoming obvious.

"Think he's put together a new Secret Society?" Wonder Woman asked.

"If he has, he's doing a better job of keeping the secret" Batman nodded.

"Certainly explains the villains suddenly shutting down during questioning. Makes you wonder how big this one is exactly. And of course, the question remains; where are they hiding?" Flint frowned.

"I wish I could help" Deadman/Superman sighed. "I can feel the psychic screams of the souls they stole, but I can't pinpoint a location. All I get are images of Africa"

At that revelation, the four leaguers instantly knew where Grodd was planning to go.

"I know" Deadman/Superman nodded, cupping his chin. "A continent doesn't narrow things down much, but it's all I can-"

"Gorilla City!" Wonder Woman surmised as Batman immediately rushed for a communications terminal before punching in a code.

"Solovar, this is Batman" the detective spoke, hoping to reach the chief of security for Gorilla City.

"What a coincidence, I was just about to call you" a deep, yet refined voice answered. The noise in the background clearly betrayed some sort of conflict.

"We wanted to give you a heads-up. We've got reason to believe that Grodd's headed your way" Batman warned.

"You don't say?" the ape responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "That might explain the army of supervillains attacking the city"

"Oh that ain't good" Flint muttered.

"How bad?" Batman pressed.

"All but taken over" Solovar grunted in reply, clearly having taken cover to avoid another attack. "They're already holding out the central control building. We could use some help if you've got any to spare. Can't chat, I've got…" he said before a sudden explosion cut off the rest of his transmission.

Wonder Woman and Sandman looked to each other worriedly while Deadman simply appeared confused. "What's Gorilla City?"

"A hidden city of super-intelligent talking gorillas with technology far beyond anything humans have created" Wonder Woman replied, as though it were completely natural.

"No, really" the ghost said in disbelief.

"You're a ghost from the Himalayas, and you're having trouble believing all this?" Wonder Woman asked.

"You've met the spunky goth girl who also happens to be Death, and you're having trouble with this?" Flint asked as well, as Deadman/Superman simply shrugged.

"Point taken" he conceded before Batman called their attention.

"Let's go. We haven't got any time to waste" he urged before leading the group down to the teleporters while Mr. Terrific attempted to get the communications back online.

* * *

In a sudden flash of light, the group of heroes found themselves in Africa, standing near the base of a large mountain. There was no sign of the Gorilla City anywhere, as Deadman/Superman looked around in confusion.

"You know, when they beam down on that TV show, they never miss"

"Gorilla City has a force-field and cloaking device to hide it" Sandman shrugged.

Wonder Woman nodded at this before demonstrating as she reached a hand out, before it pressed into a barrier. Where her hand met the field, it shimmered, rippling outward almost like a veil of water as Deadman/Superman looked at it, amazed. He then nodded before taking to the air.

"Looks like a job for Superman!" he declared before punching the barrier as hard as he could. Even with his strength, the barrier held strong as Batman scowled.

"You're wasting time. Go in as a ghost, find the central control building, and shut down the shield generator. We'll follow you in after" Batman said as Deadman/Superman landed back on the ground.

"Okay, sure" the ghost nodded before emerging from Superman's body and passing through the barrier with little trouble. Superman, however, was entirely unaware of the passage of time.

"-you have to eat them with a spoon" he continued before looking around in confusion. "What am I doing in Africa?"

* * *

Once inside the barrier, Deadman wasted no time in searching for the central control building. However, the sheer size of the city proved to be fairly problematic as he did. All around the city he could see various villains on patrol, some of Black Manta's troops alongside them. There were isolated groups of gorillas around as well, either being held prisoner by the villains, or else attempting to fight back against them.

After searching for a few minutes, he finally came across the right building before floating inside and seeing Atomic Skull patrolling one of the corridors. He instantly possessed the villain before continuing down the hall and entering the command room. There was a large computer console with various buttons and mechanisms, and two of Manta's soldiers stood guarding it.

'Alright, here goes nothing' he thought to himself before entering into the room. "You two, Manta want's you outside! Now!" he ordered, jerking a thumb over his shoulder as the two gunmen quickly ran out.

Once they were gone, he analysed the room before sighing. "You'd think there'd be a big red button or something" he scowled before charging a burst of radiation. "Ah, to heck with it" he declared before firing it into the console, following it up by smashing the remains.

Outside, the barrier shimmered and fell, allowing the other heroes entrance inside the city. However, Deadman was left unaware of this as he just continued to destroy the room attempting to cause as much trouble for the villains as he could.

He would eventually stop only when he heard the sound of a gun being cocked behind him. He then turned to see a very displeased Grodd, alongside Tala and Luthor, who was holding a pistol towards the radioactive villain.

"Skull, what do you think you're doing?!" Grodd demanded as Tala's eyes glowed faintly.

"I gotta say, I don't have a good answer for ya" Deadman/Atomic Skull admitted before Tala raised her hands as they swirled with magical energy.

"It's the ghost! He's here again!" the sorceress yelled before blasting Deadman out of Skull's body. "But this time, I will take care of him for good" she declared with a smirk.

However, despite her claim and her best efforts, she was unable to destroy the ghost. Every attempt she made to erase him failed as the ghost just grit his teeth through the pain.

"I cannot destroy him!" she said, still attempting to attack the wayward spirit.

"Can you at least get him out of our hair for a bit?" Grodd asked.

She panted from her fatigue before looking at Grodd and nodding. "Yes… I banish you from this place spirit!" she commanded before another burst of magic knocked Deadman through the walls of the building and back outside into the city. Once he recovered, the attempted to go back inside, only to find himself unable to go through the wall.

Luthor meanwhile surveyed the damage with a scowl. "We lost power to the shields for forty-one seconds before the backup generators kicked in. We have to assume…"

"That the Justice League is here" Grodd pointed out, looking at the one undamaged monitor which showed Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and Sandman entering the city, fighting any villains they came across and easily defeating them. "They're headed this way. We need more time to complete our work; by then, their intrusion won't matter"

"I'm on it" Luthor said before turning to the door. "Bizarro!"

Within seconds, the deformed clone had arrived, standing at attention in front of Luthor.

"Superman is your _best friend_. Do you understand?" the scientist asked, before the clone nodded eagerly.

"Bizarro not understand. Superman am friend. Bizarro not kill him" the clone nodded before flying off quickly.

"That should keep some of the pressure off" Luthor smirked before Grodd led him and Tala away.

* * *

"Alright, that's Bloodsport and Lady Lunar down. How are you guys looking?" Flint asked as he knocked the two villains down with dual mallets.

"Pretty good, all things considered" Superman shrugged as he beat back Silver Banshee and Angle Man, while Wonder Woman was handling several of Toyman's robots. The villains as a whole were taken completely by surprise by the League's sudden arrival. As a result, they were unprepared to fight back, allowing the gorillas to assist the League in their efforts.

Batman had just used an explosive batarang to collapse a portion of a wall and incapacitate some of Manta's troops as Wonder Woman deflected some incoming bullets with her bracelets.

"Where's Deadman?" Batman asked with a frown as Sandman shrugged.

"Not sure, probably helping the situation" he determined before turning his arm to glass to deflect some energy bolts fired by the Key. "Oh ho ho. Round two already?" he grinned before punching the villain back with an enlarged fist.

The villains, as a result of the battle, soon removed any sense of strategy and just attacked en masse. As a result, the heroes were able to beat them back with ease. Even the normally problematic Bizarro was handled quickly by Superman after the clone attempted to catch him by surprise. As it turned out, the deteriorating mental condition of the clone was swiftly proving to be his downfall in combat.

With the larger groups of villains having been dealt with, the heroes left the remaining opponents to the gorillas. Any other resistance they met was knocked a side with little effort. That is until they came across Rampage, the large woman about to crush a gorilla with her massive fists.

Flint narrowed his eyes before looking at Superman. "Toss me! Now!" he said before the man of steel grasped Flint and threw him at the large villain. Flint grinned, forming both arms together into one massive mallet as he soared towards her at break-neck speed. "Incoming!"

Rampage barely had time to look up before Flint struck her head on, knocking her away into a building before she slumped to the ground, thoroughly beaten and unconscious. Flint himself exploded into a massive spray of sand by the impact. He reformed quickly before turning to the gorilla who was standing back up. "You okay there?"

"Yes I am, thank you" the gorilla greeted. "Your friends know me already, but I am Solovar, chief of the Gorilla City security force"

"Nice to meet you. Flint Marko, the Sandman" he greeted before swinging a mallet and striking another one of Manta's soldiers who tried to sneak up them.

Manta was part of the battle as well, firing a few stingers which Wonder Woman easily deflected with her bracelets. Deadman was just flying overhead when that happened, and saw Manta firing at Wonder Woman.

He immediately recognized Manta as the man who killed his master, and flew into a rage before he possessed the Amazon warrior, stalking forward with a deadly scowl on his face. Manta was unnerved by this but managed to keep his cool.

"You killed my master!" Deadman/Wonder Woman seethed dangerously. "My friend!"

" _You'll have to be more specific lady, I've killed a lot of people_ " Manta replied, stepping back and continuing to fire.

"The old monk!" Deadman/Wonder Woman finally answered before flying forward and striking Manta dead on in the chest with a vicious haymaker. The villain was sent sprawling out across the street where he lied in a shallow crater, surrounded by rubble. As Deadman/Wonder Woman flew over to inspect the damage, he saw the villain lying on his back weakly, his armour cracked and broken as he breathed weakly.

" _What are you waiting for..?_ " he asked weakly as he was lifted by his collar. " _You want revenge… take it_ " he coughed weakly.

Deadman/Wonder Woman stared intently at him, an unreadable expression on their face before shaking their head. "No… That's not what he would have wanted"

And with that, Deadman dropped the villain to the ground before exiting Wonder Woman's body and flying off. The Amazon looked around confused for a moment before she slowly realized what had happened.

"Next time, ask permission!" she scowled before stomping off.

* * *

"Tala, we're ready for the Heart" Grodd declared with a grin as he held out his paw to the sorceress. He had been working intently with Luthor and Tala to finish the machine while the rest of the Secret Society distracted the invading heroes.

Tala handed him the orb as she was instructed, and he set it in the centre of the circular station the three were working on just moments before.

"Good. Now all I have to do is install this mind-control module" Luthor nodded, content that the plan was finally coming to fruition. He grabbed a nearby helmet-like device before setting it on the orb. "And now you can project your will over the entire world… present company excepted, of course" he said with a smirk, pleased that he had seemingly figured out Grodd's master plan.

"Actually, that's just what I wanted you to think" Grodd chuckled, smiling at the surprise on Luthor's face. "My true plans are far grander. Tala?" he beckoned before the sorceress used her magic to teleport a small device to them. Luthor took one look at the object before turning to Grodd in surprise.

"Some sort of genetic reconfiguration matrix?" he asked in surprise.

"You show impressive intellect… for a homo sapien" Grodd boasted condescendingly before installing the device as the station began to glow. "Using the massive carrier wave that, thanks to you, Gorilla City's shield generator can now produce, I'm about to send a signal that will rewrite humanoid DNA. A devolution ray that will turn every man, woman, and child on Earth… into an ape!"

* * *

Between the four of them, and now with the added help of Solovar, the Leaguers had successfully beaten back the last of Manta's troops and were now advancing fast on the control building. Wonder Woman was the last to join them as she landed before falling into step alongside them.

"Are you all okay?" Batman asked.

"Yeah, let's wrap this up" Superman nodded.

"Time to knock some sense into Grodd's arrogant arse" Flint smirked, cracking his knuckles before they were suddenly struck by a fast moving wall of blue and gold light. Wonder Woman attempted to shield herself with her bracelets, and was, to her great surprise, turned into a gorilla after it had passed.

"Oh come on!" she groaned as Superman and Batman were in a similar state. Their costumes had all bulged from their now bulkier bodies. Flint had also turned into an ape, however his ever expanding sand made it look a little less uncomfortable for him.

"Oh great, now I'm the Sand-Mandrill" he groaned, while Solovar pinched the bridge of his nose at the pun.

"Come on, we might still be able to stop this!" Batman barked before they rushed inside the control building.

Back inside, Luthor looked at his now transformed hands and grimaced in disappointment and embarrassment. Even as an ape he was bald. "Why am I not surprised?" he sighed as Tala looked over her new body, clearly upset by the development.

At the centre of the room, the console that initiated the change was now sparking and firing bolts of electricity without warning. The bolts of mystical lightning fired around the room just as the heroes entered, led by Superman.

"Grodd!" Superman yelled. Luthor drew his pistol but Grodd simply pushed it back down.

"Don't bother. It's too late" the ape shrugged as Superman dodged a stray bolt of lightning.

"Tell me how to stop it!" the hero demanded before Grodd turned to Tala.

"Get us out of here Tala!" he ordered before she used her magic to allow herself, Luthor, Grodd, and the other villains still able to fight to disappear away from the city and back to their base.

"I can try and deflect the lightning if you want to destroy it!" Flint offered, turning his body to glass as he allowed Superman to slowly approach the sparking machine. With his crystalline body able to redirect the bolts, the two managed to make their way over. Once he was close enough, Superman tore the device out of the floor before throwing it up in the air. Then he summoned all of his strength to blast it with his heat vision, causing it to explode. As it did, Deadman saw hundreds of green spheres emerge from the explosion before they flew off.

With the machine destroyed, the heroes were all reverted back to normal, as Superman fell onto one knee. All of the magic in the device had weakened him significantly.

"Easy there big guy" Flint said as he helped his friend back up to his feet.

"Is everything okay?" Superman asked, as he leaned against the ruins of the console.

"Well, I'm sort of missing Flash's obligatory joke about how Grodd made a monkey out of us" Wonder Woman offered.

"Just couldn't let it go unsaid" Superman said with a smile.

"Obligatory" she repeated.

"She has a point Supes. The joke was obligatory" Flint added.

Above their heads, Deadman watched them celebrate while he hung defeated. "That's it you guys, yuck it up. You saved the world… but I failed. Everyone in Nanda Parbat is gone… forever"

Solovar however, turned to the League with a grateful nod. "We're in your debt again Justice League. This is the second time that Grodd has threatened both our societies"

"If only he and Luthor hadn't gotten away" Superman frowned.

"If it's any consolation, we've picked up nearly a dozen of his super-powered cronies. With more to come, I'm sure" Solovar assured them. However, while they were distracted in talking, they didn't notice Black Manta slowly sneaking up on them as he aimed one of his stinger guns at Solovar's back.

Deadman saw this just in time and quickly jumped into Flint's body. Deadman/Flint then leapt in front of the stinger as it fired, the stinger bouncing off the glass harmlessly before he responded by punching Manta in the face, knocking him out again.

"Nice work there Flint" Wonder Woman complimented.

"Actually that was me" Deadman/Sandman shrugged. "Flint has no idea what just happened"

"I was wondering where you'd gone off to Boston. Thanks for all you've done" Batman said appreciatively.

"No problem bats" Deadman/Superman replied before feeling some other-worldly energy pulling on his ghostly form. 'Hey guys, I'm getting called by one of my deity buddies. I'll catch you later, okay?" he said before leaving Flint's body and flying off to parts unknown.

Flint simply blinked at his change in position before shaking his head. "That better not happen again"

* * *

Deadman felt his spirit being pulled through the astral plane, before he was once again greeted by Rama Kushna.

" _Boston Brand… you are to be commended for what you have done. You were gifted the opportunity to balance the scales of karma and you have done so admirably_ " the Goddess complimented.

"So I'm being thanked for failing now?" Deadman asked. "I thought I was supposed to save the monks, not let them die!"

" _You are to be rewarded. For your service, your exile is over_ " Rama Kushna continued as the ghost shook his head.

"No! I don't deserve it! I don't want to cross over if it means hundreds of people had to die!" Deadman yelled defiantly, while Rama seemed to watch him for a moment.

" _Perhaps you would be convinced that you are deserving if I showed you the results of your efforts_ " she said before the two of them suddenly disappeared in a flash of light. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the city of Nanda Parbat. To his surprise, upon his return he suddenly found all of the monks slowly starting to get to their feet. The injured were helped by their friends and allies as Boston looked on shocked.

"What? But… how?" he asked in surprise.

" _When the Heart was shattered, the essences of the monks were set free. Their souls returned to their proper vessels_ " Rama Kushna explained. Before Deadman could say anything he was suddenly greeted by another joyous surprise.

"No one dies in Nanda Parbat" his Master greeted. He required the help of another monk to stand, but he was finally able to look at the ghost once more. "I am proud of you my friend, for the scales are once again balanced. You are ready to pass on to the next life" the Master said contentedly before a new figure appeared. She had chalk-white skin, and wore all black clothing, with a silver ankh on a necklace.

"Come along now Boston… the afterlife is waiting, and it's a fun time" Death said with a smile.

Deadman looked at her hopefully, starting to follow her before he stopped himself. "I… I'm sorry, but not yet. What I did today… I helped save the world. I saved the lives of these monks. If I can do more good like that, then perhaps I shouldn't leave just yet" he said, shaking his head.

" _Are you quite sure Boston? You have begged for this for years now_ " Rama Kushna asked as the ghost nodded again.

"I'm positive. Maybe some other time miss" he said to the smiling Death, who shrugged.

"Suit yourself Boston. You can stay here as long as you like. But, whenever you're ready, just give the word and I shall be back" she nodded before walking away from sight.

"Well my friend, if you wish to help the world, I know someone who might have an opportunity for you" the Master nodded before taking him inside the temple. Once inside, he got into a meditative stance, speaking an incantation. At first, there was nothing.

Then, a large purple ankh suddenly flashed into the room as three figures emerged from it. Deadman looked at them, his eyebrow raised curiously. "Who are they?"

"Mr. Brand, my name is Kent Nelson. And these are Richard Swift and John Constantine" Dr. Fate greeted.

"Y-you can see me?" the ghost asked in surprise.

"The wonders of magic mate. The wonders of magic" Constantine grinned.

"We have come to you to extend an offer…" Fate explained. "An offer to fight for Justice"

* * *

Back at the Society's headquarters, Grodd sat at the head of his meeting table as the remaining villains simply glared at him. None of them were at all happy, but the genius ape simply took it with stoicism and a blank stare.

"Since there's only one monkey left around here, I'm assuming that the Justice League found a way to stop your carrier wave" Luthor assumed, looking at Grodd with a sneer from his position next to him.

"There's more than one way to peel a banana" Grodd countered. "Next time…"

"I wasn't planning on doing this for another few weeks, but seriously?!" Luthor said, cutting him off as he pointed a pistol at Grodd. "Turning everyone on Earth into apes… that was your master plan?!" he seethed before firing several shots into the ape's chest. Grodd wasn't dead, not yet. Luthor wanted him to suffer for this.

"Listen up!" Luthor barked to the now attentive villains. "From now on, I'm in charge of this operation. Anybody got a problem with that?" he asked as the remaining villains simply shook their heads. Some even gave him looks of approval after all the crap Grodd had put them through.

"No problem at all…" Tala purred before leaning against Luthor's arm with a playful expression. "… Baby"

* * *

Manta sat in his cell impatiently, stripped from his armour and now in a drab grey prison jump suit. After the failure at Gorilla City, he and the other villains were carted off to Belle Revve penitentiary. However, he knew he wouldn't have to wait there long. Just long enough for…

"David Hyde" the baritone voice of Vandal Savage greeted, as he stepped out of a swirling black portal, and looked at the incarcerated villain with a small smirk.

"It's about time you got here Savage. I was getting tired of having to spy on Grodd. That Society started fine, but it devolved way too fast into the ridiculous" he spat. 'Not to mention the disgusting' he thought to himself when he remembered the way Tala acted towards Grodd.

"I apologize for the wait my friend. But don't worry, now is the time for your escape. Your new armour awaits you back at headquarters" Savage grinned as he and Manta stepped though the portal together.

"We finally ready to put the plan into action?" Manta asked.

"Not quite yet" Savage replied, shaking his head. "We still need to wait for one more thing, but once that is done it will be time for the world to step into… the Light"

* * *

 **And there we go! Deadman gets his happy ending.**

 **I mean seriously, what the hell was with the original ending in the show? Talk about kicking a guy when he's down.**

 **In any case, Grodd's time as leader has ended. Time for Luthor to take the reigns! But where will this lead them to? You'll have to find out next time. But first a little detour. Supergirl is taking centre stage again. And this time she will be fighting... an Injustice**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	35. An Injustice Far From Home

**New chapter time!**

 **With my exams all done, it's time for me to get back to posting. And my fabulous new beta has made it so much easier too!**

 **This chapter ended up way longer than expected. It might actually end up being the longest chapter I've written yet. Consider this an early Christmas present to all of you, especially with the finale being so close.**

 **This episode will be taking the place of "Far From Home", for two reasons: 1) I want to test out the idea of the Sandman Unlimited universe going through the injustice story line and 2) I hated the resolution of Supergirl's arc in the TV show. Seriously, to the future where she will never return? Leaving her friends and family behind? She didn't even get a unique theme before she left! That is a crime.**

 **But now I can right that, and give her a more satisfying conclusion. Her arc is to become her own hero, and so that is what shall happen!**

 **But first, as always, questions from you guys!:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Yeah Deadman is pretty awesome. He deserved so much better.**

 **demonic hellfire: Pretty sure it went Robin, then Batgirl**

 **cabrera1234:** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

 **Jaeson Chandler: It is comedy gold**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Always great to hear your input. Deadman really did deserve a far better ending than what he got, so hopefully I rectified that. The comedy was pretty fun to write, especially Lex's dialogue. Expect more comedy in the future as well, the chapter after this one will be full of it. Justice League Dark will most definitely have a more expanded role in the sequels. As for a tribute to Dwayne McDuffie, I am not as well-versed in the Milestone universe as I would like to be, so unfortunately there won't be a tribute chapter for him. Mr. McDuffie was an absolute legend in the industry and an important figurehead, so his characters will appear. Icon, Static, Gear, and Rocket are all planned for Alchemic Justice. As for a Rampage redemption arc, it's not really in the cards right now.**

 **Celgress: Oh he has something great planned, just you wait** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

 **Lovingh3art: Hopefully you enjoy this chapter then!**

 **As always, thanks for each and every one of your reviews, I appreciate every single one. Keep them coming!**

 **And now, the disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for the story. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. The Justice League and all related Characters are owned by DC Comics. Please support the official releases.**

 **With that out of the way, on to the chapter!**

* * *

In the crumbling remains of a ruined laboratory, a single light flickered as the whirring noise of machinery and computer components died down. A large device resembling a generator slowly powered down, the blackened and charred remains of a skeleton left on the ground next to it. Smoke slowly billowed in clouds from the husk of bones as the machine finally whirred to a stop.

A lone figure stared at the machine with an embittered scowl before turning and leaving the room in a hurry. He pressed a finger to the communicator in his ear. "The mission was a failure, the machine was activated"

There was a brief pause. "Do you want to look for them?" A voice answered hesitantly.

"Negative. I'm returning to base. We can send Adam and the Lantern after whoever he's brought here" the figure answered before leaving the room. Once he had left the building, he took off into the air before flying out across the city.

Back in the building, tucked away in a side room that had been carefully barricaded, three figures stayed hidden away. All of them bore grim, heart-broken faces. The lone woman of the trio looked as though she would burst into sobs at any moment.

"Well… did it work?" one of the other two asked their leader.

"According to this scanner, it did. I'm picking up three figures, non-native to this world" the leader answered simply.

"How far away are they? We need to get to them before _he_ does" the first said seriously.

"Flint's right Bruce… if they're our only hope we need to get to them. Now!" the woman spoke, finally composing herself.

"And we will Barbara. We just need another few seconds for him to be out of range" Bruce answered before pulling the Batman cowl back over his head.

"What about Slade? He got caught by the Regime saving our sorry asses in order to give us this chance" Flint asked skeptically.

"He can get himself out. He's done it under worse conditions before" Batman reasoned. "I give him two hours until he's out again"

Flint simply sighed, shaking his head. "After everything that's happened, I don't want to leave that to chance now. But this mission comes first. You better hope this works. I don't want Kate's sacrifice to be in vain" he spoke, Batgirl lowering her head solemnly at the mention of the now late Batwoman who gave her life to activate the generator before she was killed in Batman's place.

"I know" Batman admitted, the fatigue finally getting to him. "Damn it, I know all too well… but we have to keep moving. Quinn will meet us back at base after she finishes her recon, and Static is still out on his own patrol. Batgirl, get back to headquarters, see if you can continue your job at tracking down any other help we can get"

"Understood" the girl nodded reluctantly before rushing out of the room.

"Alright, let's go pick up the newbies" Flint nodded, cracking his knuckles idly as he prepared for whatever conflict they met during the pickup. "It's time for us to right an injustice" he said before leading Batman out of the room. Batman followed a few lagging steps behind, his usual bat glare having returned to him

"If we're not too late"

* * *

- _Ten Minutes Earlier_ -

"You think she's ready?" Green Arrow asked as he, Superman, Green Lantern, and Sandman stood in the observation deck of the training room, watching Kara as she defeated the last of the robots from a previous wave, a cocky smirk on her face.

"She's been practicing for this for a while" Superman replied simply. "I'm sure she'll do fine"

What Supergirl was attempting at the moment, was something very few people in the League had managed to actually accomplish. It was an endless wave of drones that came in levels. Each level represented some of the most dangerous and difficult opponents the League had faced.

Supergirl was looking to become the next member of the Justice League to clear every level; something only Wonder Woman and Superman had previously achieved. After tossing aside the remains of the drones, the new wave spawned; Silver Banshee, Queen Bee, and Doctor Cyber. Upon seeing the new wave, Supergirl cracked her knuckles eagerly before rocketing forwards with a smirk.

"She seems pretty cocky" Arrow commented as Supergirl easily knocked the android Doctor Cyber aside.

"That's true. Granted, we never got the telepathy working properly for Queen Bee to be a real threat in this simulator" Flint pointed out. "At the moment, Silver Banshee is the biggest threat down there" he added before the Silver Banshee was also summarily defeated with the same relative ease.

"So much for the biggest threat" Lantern said with a smirk.

"She's on the last wave now" Superman said with a grin while Green Arrow was surprised at the speed with which she accomplished the feat. Sure enough the final wave of villains formed, featuring some of the deadliest and strongest villains the League had ever faced; Atomic Skull, Sinestro, Bizarro, and the original body of Brainiac.

Supergirl seemed to regard them for a moment, breathing heavier than before, before she flew into battle again, immediately engaging Bizarro first, and using his body to shield herself from Sinestro and Brainiac's own attacks.

"Oh that reminds me Flint. We've been noticing how our usual villains aren't pulling the same challenge as they used to. Most other members of the League are catching up fairly fast" Superman said. "Think you can get us a few of your world's villains?"

"Sure, I can have some case files brought over. How difficult do you want them?" Flint asked.

"Something to give me a challenge would be nice" he chuckled.

"Don't be ridiculous. There's no one that strong in Flint's world… is there?" Arrow asked.

"Well there are a few I can think of… but they would be overkill" Flint mused, thinking of a certain Latverian dictator. "But I think the Juggernaut would be a fun challenge for you Clark"

"The Juggernaut? What's he like?" Superman asked.

"Well his strength equals yours to start. And once he starts moving, he can't be stopped" he explained. Arrow looked thoroughly frightened at the prospect while Lantern simply shook his head.

"You're kidding"

"I wish I wasn't. Luckily he's more anti-hero nowadays, but still. He's a damn threat when he wants to be"

"Sounds like a perfect addition. If you can come up with some other, weaker villains for the lower levels we might have some nice new challenges for everyone" Superman nodded.

Back down with Supergirl, she had successfully reduced Bizarro to a hunk of scrap metal, before going after Sinestro next. She dodged another blast from his ring before grabbing and twisting his arm until it was pulled off. The now defenseless robot fell, and she used the powerless body to repeatedly strike Brainiac. With a few powerful strikes, both robots were reduced to nothing but scraps, leaving only Atomic Skull left.

Skull let lose a blast of radiation, which she deftly blocked with her cape. She then flew low, using her momentum to strike at the robot's legs, completely severing the knees. As it fell she would catch it by the shoulders before firing her heat vision into the back of its head, effectively destroying it. She then tossed the wrecked body aside before she stared back up to the senior Leaguers.

"Remind me what we spend on these things?" Flint asked as he showed Superman various files of his world's villains.

"Far too much" Lantern sighed before going down with Green Arrow to congratulate the latest member of the League to complete all five waves.

"Great job kid. I think you set a new record for the program" the emerald archer complimented.

"Is that jealousy I hear Ollie?" Supergirl asked as she flew over to the two with a grin.

"Please" he scoffed. "Dinah puts me through worse than a bunch of robot supervillains every night"

Supergirl took a step back, a look of disgust on her face as Lantern pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm gonna tell her you said that"

"She won't deny it" Ollie laughed.

Before any of them could say another word however, a blue sphere suddenly appeared between them before expanding around them and engulfing them. They attempted to escape the energy, but it resisted even Supergirl's Kryptonian strength. Superman and Flint saw what was happening and rushed down to try and help, but by the time they arrived down in the training room, the sphere had disappeared, taking their friends with it.

* * *

When the portal disappeared and the energy settled, the trio found themselves in the middle of an empty street. It was clearly the middle of the day, but no one was around. In fact, there didn't seem to be anyone anywhere. There were still cars parked along the road, they just didn't appeared to be used at all.

"Where… are we?" Supergirl asked, instantly cautious of their new surroundings.

"My ring says we're in Gotham" John commented as Arrow nodded.

"Okay so we're on Earth, no big deal. Looks a bit clean to be Gotham though" he mused

"Something's not right… Where is everyone?" Supergirl asked warily as the others took note of just how empty it was.

Sure enough, this was Gotham. However, something was clearly wrong. It looked exactly like they remembered, and yet at the same time it looked… wrong. Like there was something just out of place enough to make them uncomfortable.

"Maybe it's just an empty street?" Arrow offered. "We should probably just contact the Watchtower, get us back to where we were so they can fix whatever caused this"

Before they could take action, they were met with a heavy impact colliding with the pavement behind them. John turned around first and immediately scowled. "Black Adam"

Sure enough, there behind them was Black Adam, the immortal ruler of Khandaq, and an incredibly powerful supervillain. Black Adam seemed to regard them with a confused expression before it turned into a deadly, malicious grin. "Arrow, Lantern. I thought you were dead. I suppose this gives me the treat of killing you myself"

"Dead? Since when were we dead?" Arrow asked before the three heroes narrowly dodged a bolt of lightning thrown at them by the powerful dictator. Adam soon followed up by launching himself at Supergirl, his fist crackling with electricity.

She moved to the side, before attempting to strike him with her own fist. The villain caught her wrist easily before throwing her at the other two heroes. John quickly used his ring to conjure a cushion for her, before she stood up again, clearly frustrated.

"Must be Grodd's Society" Green Lantern rationalized. "They probably set this up"

"That certainly makes sense" Arrow nodded before drawing an explosive arrow and firing it at Adam. The villain was ready to catch the arrow, but it was instead blocked by a yellow shield.

"Well well well, what do we have here Adam? Some sort of-" a voice started before looking at the heroes in shock. "John?!"

"What, Hal? What are you doing?" John asked in surprise, seeing another one of Earth's resident Lanterns seemingly helping Black Adam. "And why do you have one of Sinestro's rings?"

Hal didn't seem to hear that, instead he landed on the ground before slowly walking towards the trio. "John… you have no idea how good it is to see you…" he said, his voice shaking as though he would break into tears at any second.

"Step aside Lantern" Adam spoke, his eyes crackling dangerously with electricity. "We have a mission to take care of"

"No! Not yet!" Hal yelled, standing in front of John defensively. "Take the others if you must, but let me talk to John for a minute!"

"You're just gonna toss us aside like that Jordan?" Arrow said in shock.

"That's pretty underhanded" Supergirl frowned.

"Hal, just what do you think you're doing?" John barked as Hal looked at him sheepishly.

"Look, you already died once. I can't let that happen again" the younger lantern sighed.

"Died?"

"Enough of this!" Black Adam snarled before looking to the sky. "SHAZA-"

Before he could finish, he was suddenly struck by a massive sandy fist that sent him flying into a nearby building, where he embedded into the wall. The sand reformed into Flint, but he looked visibly different. Gone was his usual confident smirk, instead there was a determined grimace. He also appeared much more battle-worn.

"Sandman… better get this over with quick" Hal frowned before he was suddenly struck from behind by another new arrival; the Batman.

"You three, come with us" the dark knight ordered.

"Come where exactly?" Supergirl asked before turning around sharply, hearing a sonic-boom in the distance. Someone was approaching them, and fast.

"Trust me, you don't want to be here when Clark gets here" Flint said seriously, blocking an attack from Hal before knocking him to the ground with a backhanded mallet.

"What's wrong with Clark?" Supergirl asked worriedly.

"We'll explain on the way, but the short version? He became another Justice Lord" Flint said, suddenly catching their attention as the three Leaguers had looks of worry.

"Sandman!" Adam's voice could be heard bellowing from the inside of the building, as Flint turned to Batman. "We need to go, now!"

"Barbara, lock onto our position, we need transport ASAP!" Batman barked into his communicator as Adam emerged from the building, his glare more murderous than ever. He raised a fist to strike as Hal raised his own ring, rather hesitantly. In the distance rapidly approaching, was a familiar blue and red garbed figure.

Flint and Batman moved back towards the three just a blue transporter beam activated, sending them away to another undisclosed location.

"Great, now where'd they go?" Hal sighed before he and Adam were joined by a third figure.

"Hal, Adam. I assume you failed the recovery?"

"I'm sorry, I saw John again… and I… I just panicked!" the Lantern defended.

"That is not the John you knew, the John you knew was murdered" the figure said. "Now get back to base, I'll search for them myself" he ordered. Hal looked like he was about to protest, but thought better of it before him and Adam both flew off. The figure watched for a moment before turning back to where the trio was standing previous, alongside Sandman and Batman.

"So this is your help, eh Bruce?" he mused. "Fine. It won't make any difference, you will be stopped all the same" he shrugged before touching his own communicator. "Diana, call a meeting. We may have a problem here"

"Understood Superman" Wonder Woman's voice answered, as the Superman of this Earth gave one last grim nod, before flying off back to his base.

* * *

The transporter beam soon faded, as the heroes arrived in what appeared to be some sort of underground bunker. It was a fairly small room, two walls completely taken up by computer consoles. There was a hallway that lead down towards a hangar, and some meager sleeping quarters, but other than that, there was not much else.

"Where are we now?" Supergirl asked as Batman and Flint stepped off the teleporter pad, walking towards the consoles.

"You're in the base of the insurgency; the resistance to the One World Regime" a new voice answered, before the chair in front of the computers turned to reveal a much older Batgirl.

"Babs… what's going on?" Supergirl asked warily.

Flint sighed before looking to the last remnants of the bat-family. "You two head out, see if you can track down the others. I'll explain what happened to them" he offered, before walking to the Leaguers as the bats left. "It's a long story, and a very unpleasant one. You're not gonna like what you hear"

The three looked amongst each other grimly before nodding. "Alright, just tell us everything" John said as the three sat at the conference table in the middle of the room. Flint nodded before sitting across from them.

"It all started five years ago, it was a routine day. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just business as usual, and Clark was happily announcing to us that Lois was pregnant"

"He got married to Lois?" Arrow asked.

"Yep. If I'm not mistaken, you can expect his proposal in a few weeks over in your world" Flint mused with a small smile before it disappeared just as fast. "But then we were alerted to something that scared us all. Lois' signal watch was activated near the Metropolis waterfront. Superman immediately dispatched Wonder Woman, Flash, and myself to go with him while Batman was taking care of a case. Joker had escaped, and Batman wanted to track him down as fast as possible, the clown had been bragging about some master plan" Flint said, before steeling himself. "When we arrived at the docks, we found Jimmy had been murdered, and Lois had been kidnapped"

That small bit of information already had Supergirl reeling. She had met Jimmy Olsen before. He was a little cocky, but he meant well, and was a good friend of Clark's on top of being an ace photographer.

"Superman was quick to find a submarine tethered just offshore, with the Joker's iconography spray-painted all over it. Don't need a genius to put two and two together" Flint said. "But that's when Batman radioed us. Clark had already gone inside to rescue Lois, so Diana got the call. Batman found Scarecrow apparently murdered, and his fear toxin was missing. On top of that, Hal called in a recent kryptonite robbery from STAR Labs"

"Oh no… he wouldn't" John said slowly.

"He did. Joker laced the fear toxin with kryptonite, and once Superman came in to save Lois, he got a face full of the stuff. The first thing he saw? Doomsday, standing menacingly in front of him. He flew into an instinctive frenzy, trying to keep Doomsday as far from Lois as he could, not knowing he'd been gassed. He took the monster straight up through the atmosphere, intending to hurl it into space… and then the gas wore off…" Flint said, holding back a sob. "And it wasn't Doomsday… it was Lois… the Joker had tricked Superman into killing Lois…"

All three heroes looked horrified, and Supergirl especially looked heartbroken. It was Flint's next words that broke them even more.

"But that wasn't all that the Joker did" Flint said gravely.

"What more could there be?" Arrow asked, dreading the answer.

"Joker had hidden a bomb somewhere in the city. It was tied to Lois' heartbeat, and the second it stopped, the bomb was activated. In less than a minute, the entire city was levelled, and Superman lost so many people" Flint recounted, shaking his head. "We lost some good heroes in the explosion too… Kid Flash, Steel, gone before they knew it"

"Oh God…" Supergirl breathed in horror, the tears starting to flow.

"After that, Clark went mad. The Joker had been apprehended, but while Batman was interrogating him, Superman broke into the room and killed the clown in revenge. But that was only the beginning for Clark. He saw what had happened when villains were left unchecked, so he decided to be more… proactive" he grimaced. "He decided to take over the world to save it. A lot of the League opposed him, but there were quite a few who supported him. Other heroes did too… the next years were a bloodbath"

"A bloodbath how?" John asked. "And why did Adam and Hal say we were dead?"

Flint looked at John, then at Ollie for a moment before his own tears fell. "Because you are… God I can't tell you how much it hurts to see you two again" he said sadly.

"Did you lose anyone else?" Supergirl asked.

"We lost a lot of people, since Superman decided that opposition wasn't to be stood for. J'onn and Captain Atom were the first, followed shortly after by Ollie" he started, each Leaguer stiffening as they heard that. To know that J'onn had died first, it was a shock to them. The Martian had long been considered among the most powerful heroes in their world, as well as the most compassionate. "And it doesn't stop there: Question, Huntress, John, Guy Gardner, Nightwing, Kyle Rayner, hell we don't even know what happened to Dinah"

"What about me? What happened to the Supergirl of this world?" Supergirl asked hesitantly.

"I'll be honest… there wasn't a Supergirl here. This is the first time I've seen you" he admitted.

"Is there anyone else in your resistance?" John asked, folding his arms.

"Very few. You already know about Barbara and Bruce. Other than that, Black Lightning is over in Central City and Harley's on recon. Slade got captured this morning, and we just lost Batwoman trying to bring you here"

"Wait, you mean to tell us that Harley Quinn and Deathstroke are in your resistance?" Arrow said in shock.

"Harley broke free from Joker soon after he died, and joined us as penance. Slade just was in it for the money, but he opposes everything Clark has been doing. Other than that, there isn't anyone else. Zatanna and Constantine took Keemia into the house of mystery and are training her and a few others. Aleksei and Cynthia went into hiding, and Herman's just missing"

They were silent for a moment, before John cleared his throat. "So, why exactly did you bring us here?"

"Because we have a plan to stop Superman, but we needed your help" Batman said, returning to the room backed by Batgirl and the newly arrived Harley Quinn.

"So these are the helping hands you promised B-Man?" Harley asked, looking them over. "I hope they'll be enough. Can't guarantee anything with Supes out there"

"What is this plan, anyway?" Arrow asked, his eyebrow raised.

"In the Batcave, there's a kryptonite based weapon that I was working on, before I was forced to leave the manor for my own safety" Bruce explained. "We plan to lure Superman and his forces to the Metropolis Island prison. While you assist the rest of the resistance in beating back the Regime, all I need is one good shot, focused through Flint's glass to defeat Superman"

"And you want us to retrieve the weapon?" John clarified.

"Yes. Quinn will accompany you to the manor, and assist you in getting inside. Be careful though, the Regime might have a guard or two stationed there" Batman warned.

The three looked a little unsure, as Supergirl stepped forwards. "And when we're done, you'll send us home?"

"Yes, we will. But for now we need your help" Flint answered. The three took a moment to look at each other, before they all stood and approached them.

"Alright, we're in" John agreed.

"Perfect! I'll lead you down there easy-peasy!" Harley said excitedly, before looping her arm around Supergirl's shoulders and leading them off down the hall.

* * *

Once a proud icon of philanthropy and the upper-class, Wayne Manor had since fallen into severe disrepair. The large iron gates had been torn open by some great force, and were now bent at the hinges, one gate being completely removed and thrown across the great stone driveway. The large vines and plants that covered the grounds had grown over the building, breaking widows and forcing bricks apart. The manor doors had been blasted open, and the elements had slowly begun to find their way inside.

"Well, here ya go kids. The infamous Wayne manor, former home of the Batman" Harley said dramatically as the four slowly entered the grounds. John watched every corner for a possible threat, with Ollie always having a twitching finger priming his bow. Supergirl simply seemed more morose as she looked around the wasted form of the building.

"How long has it been like this?" the teen asked.

"Bruce abandoned this place after Alfred died a year ago" Harley said quietly, leading them though the front doors. "He deactivated the security and blocked off the main cave entrances shortly after"

"So how are we gonna get into the cave?" Arrow asked.

"Through the only entrance left; the grandfather clock" Harley explained, before taking them into the ballroom. Despite the shelves that were knocked down and the partially destroyed fireplace, the clock in question stood relatively unharmed. Not even a speck of dust on it.

"So we just go through there?" Arrow wondered, inspecting the clock.

"Yep" Harley grinned. "Like I said, easy-peasy"

"It can't be that simple" John muttered.

"You got that right" a new voice said, before the resistance turned to see Killer Frost, a cruel and malicious smirk on her face.

"Of course, you're in Superman's little Regime too aren't you?" Supergirl groaned.

"He promised me revenge" Frost scowled. "Revenge for Shark"

"What happened to shark?"

"The Bat killed him!" she snarled before smirking. "Luckily, I'm not here alone" she grinned before the door burst open, revealing a very large and very angry Solomon Grundy.

"Grundy crush stupid heroes!" the zombie roared as John grimaced.

"He's alive again?"

"Undead technically" Arrow quipped.

"Then let's make him un-undead!" Harley said, before drawing her bat. At that, the zombie roared before charging at them. Arrow dodged to the side, before firing three explosive arrows at Frost, who simply conjured a wall of ice to deflect them. Harley swung her bat into the zombie's knees, knocking him down before Supergirl responded with an uppercut to Grundy's chin, knocking him across the room into the remaining bookshelves.

John took to the air, focusing fire on Frost and forcing her to dive from her cover, and respond with her own ice blast. He formed a shield to block it, but was still struck partially on his shoulder. He grimaced at the cold, before dodging another blast as Arrow tried to tie her up with a bola.

She smirked, freezing the rope in midair before shattering it with a kick. "You're out of your League archer boy. Now how about you play dead again?"

"You first" Lantern barked before using his ring to knock down the chandelier. Frost looked up in shock before diving to the side, right into Arrow's waiting fist. He knocked her down as she slumped into unconsciousness.

"Ha, guess I knocked her out cold" Arrow quipped as John rolled his eyes. Harley however, let out a barking laugh, soon to be joined by Grundy who was also chuckling.

"Arrow man funny" the zombie grinned before standing up.

"Why thank you, I do try my best" Arrow smirked before Supergirl flew in, striking the zombie in the gut, Grundy doubled forward before grabbing a nearby table and swinging it into Supergirl, knocking her out of the way. He then approached Quinn, his fists raised before two arrows embedded themselves in his hand and shoulder.

He gave a roar of pain before turning to Green Arrow, a furious scowl on his face. " **ARROW MAN NO HURT GRUNDY!** "

"Arrow man yes hurt Grundy" Ollie returned before firing a smoke arrow into his face to blind him. The zombie coughed and sputtered on the smoke before Lantern conjured a massive hammer and struck him in the back. He stumbled forward, as Harley swung across both his knees, knocking him forwards as Supergirl brought her knee into his face. There was a sickening crunch as she broke his nose, before he fell forward on the ground, knocked out alongside Frost.

"You guys sure know how to have fun" Harley grinned before throwing open the clock and racing down the stairs, the Leaguers close behind her. They soon arrived in the batcave, which looked relatively untouched as well. The display cases of the costumes, the batmobile, the Batcomputer, everything was untouched. Then in the centre of it all was what appeared to be a giant laser, a large piece of kryptonite powering it.

"That's the weapon then?" John asked, flying over and scanning it with his ring.

"Yep, that's the one" Harley nodded. As the three inspected the machine, she went to one of the tables and swiped a couple of pills before joining them. "Alright Bats, we got the weapon doo-hickey" she said into her communicator.

"Understood. We're in position at the prison, be ready for transport" Batman replied as the four gathered around the machine. Then, the familiar light of the transporter beam surrounded them before they were sent to the outskirts of the prison.

On arrival, they were met by Batman, Batgirl, Sandman, and the newly arrived Black Lightning. Batman nodded his thanks before going to prep the machine. "Good work. It's still in working condition, so with any luck we'll be able to stop Superman with it"

"I managed to grab these too" she said with a grin before she and Batgirl each swallowed a pill.

"What are those exactly?" John asked, his eyebrow cocked curiously.

"Power Pills. They were developed by Clark so his non-powered team mates could have an extra boost. We stole them back in the early days, and turned them into our own little secret weapons" Batman said before swallowing one himself. "They proved invaluable"

"Alright, so what's the plan with the weapon?" Supergirl said, looking at it warily.

"Superman likely won't appear until he knows I'm here. So first we draw his forces. Hopefully, with your help we'll be able to beat them back long enough to draw him out. By then, I should have the weapon primed and ready to fire"

"So how are you gonna draw them out?" Supergirl frowned, folding her arms.

Batman simply raised his hand, revealing a detonator before he pressed the button. Immediately, one wall of the prison blew up in a massive controlled explosion, shocking the three heroes who weren't expecting it. Flint smirked at their surprise before gesturing a thumb over his shoulder to the newly detonated wall.

"Like that"

* * *

Flash was in a troubled state of mind. Over the last few years, he had watched Superman's decline into a ruthless tyrant and every part of it scared him. Clark had clearly gone off the deep end. He was declaring martial law, cutting down anyone opposed to him. He had killed their friends, and just now, Flash watched him kill Shazam with his own eyes.

"Superman, we just got an alert" Wonder Woman said suddenly, breaking the Flash from his musings as the other members of the regime turned to look at her. Hal was fiddling with his ring impatiently, Sinestro and Black Adam standing behind him, talking. Shayera stared off in the distance before snapping to attention again, as Frost nursed her new black eye.

Superman stepped over Shazam's body, almost like it wasn't there, before approaching the computer where Diana and Cyborg were monitoring the situation.

"What is it?" he asked, looking over their shoulders.

"Batman's causing some sort of prison riot. Blew open one of the walls and let out most of the inmates" Cyborg explained. "Looks like he brought his entire resistance with him"

Superman considered this for a second before nodding. "Then we go and destroy them once and for all" he declared before turning to the others. "Let's move out people" he ordered.

Frost gave a small nod before standing. "I'll get my shot in at vengeance right?" she questioned as Superman scowled.

"Batman is mine. If you're lucky you might get a limb or two" he growled, his heat-vision glowing faintly. "Don't forget you're here only on a small chance of leniency. That can change" he spoke, causing the cold based villain to quite literally shiver.

That had Flash frowning again. Batman was clearly trying to draw Superman's attention, why else would he do something like this? But if that's the case, there was no way Bruce would be able to stop him. He was outnumbered, and Superman wouldn't hold back.

"Flash, are you coming?"

"Huh?" the speedster replied, looking. The others had since left, and Cyborg was standing by the door, an expectant look on his face.

"I said, are you coming? Clark is really adamant about us leaving right away" he said simply.

"Oh, yeah. Just…" he started before trailing off. "You know, I'll just meet you there. I have something I need to check up on"

"Suit yourself" the former Titan shrugged before leaving. Once he was gone, Flash immediately ran down to the holding cells where Deathstroke was sitting on his cot, a bored expression on his face.

"Shouldn't you be out with the boy scout or somethin'?" the aged mercenary mused, an oddly triumphant smirk on his face.

"No… not this time" he said adamantly, his face a determined frown. "Clark's gone too far, and Batman's gonna get himself killed. He's outnumbered and he needs our help"

"You expect me to believe that you're gonna help the bat now, after these last few years?"

Flash sighed at that. "I deserve that…. I really do. But I'm gonna change that. I'm helping Bruce" he declared, before opening the cell door and rushing out. When he returned a second later, he had all of Slade's armour and weapons.

"If you expect the Bat to survive this he'll need more help. Whoever he brought, won't cut it" he said, putting his armour on, but leaving the helmet off to the side.

"Well who else is there to find?" Flash asked seriously, a small bit of hope in his eyes.

Slade just smiled before taking out a slip of paper. "I got a list"

* * *

"Are you ready for this?" Arrow said absentmindedly, drawing an arrow from his quiver and notching it in his bow as he watched the sky.

"No, not really. The last time I fought Clark… didn't end so well" she admitted, remembering how Clark had injured her enough to put her in the hospital when Darkseid had controlled him. "Besides, in some form it's still Clark. How can I justify fighting him like this?"

"Because that man… he may look like Clark, but he is not Clark. Not anymore" Sandman answered. "Look, I know how much you look up to him. To watch him become a hero, knowing you could do the same thing, it must have been amazing. But it's time to stop being in his shadow. You can still love him, you can still look up to him, but now is the time to become your own hero. To be a strong hero in your own right. Because one day, someone like him will come along. Maybe it won't be Clark, maybe it'll be someone like Brainiac, or maybe some new threat. But the point is, there will always come a time when you have to step up to the plate"

Supergirl seemed to regard him for a moment, her expression becoming more thoughtful as she looked down, nodding slowly. "I think I understand"

"Good, because it's time" Batman said, looking to the horizon as the others followed his line of sight. There, rapidly approaching were the various members of the Regime. Superman floated behind them, his arms folded across his chest, almost as though he were amused, yet disinterested at the same time.

"Well, this is it" John grimaced as the Regime's forces slowed to a stop in front of them. They stood a mere fifty feet away, as Wonder Woman stepped forwards before drawing a sword.

"Surrender now, and you will be imprisoned fairly. If you resist, we shall show no mercy" the Amazon said coldly.

"She sure knows how t'make you feel welcome" Harley commented dryly.

Ollie scoffed before raising his bow and drawing back the string. "Yeah, I'm sure that'll happen. Just ask the other me how that went down, that'll let you know my answer" the archer stated.

Hal seemed to look away guiltily at that, while Sinestro sneered. "Please, this will be a trivial matter"

"If that is your final answer, then you leave us with no choice" Wonder Woman frowned before raising her sword in the air. Immediately, an entire platoon of the Regime's armed forces appeared before the charging at the Insurgency. Wonder Woman then lead the others into battle soon after.

"The machine still needs time to charge before we can use it. Try and hold them off until its ready to fire" Batman ordered as he took up a defensive stance in front of the machine.

"We'll try our best" Arrow said honestly before firing his arrow into the platoon of soldiers where it expanded on impact into a rapidly hardening foam that trapped three of them instantly.

Sandman formed two large maces before going and fighting against Wonder Woman, trying to keep her away from Batman.

Black Adam meanwhile, dove right for Supergirl, his eyes crackling with electricity. "This time I will not fail" he said darkly.

"Tch. I'm convinced" the teen scoffed, rolling her eyes before immediately rushing forwards with her arm cocked back for a punch. Their fist collided, making a massive shockwave that shot lightning and dust in all directions.

"Kara's really not holding back" John mused, using his ring to block Hal's own beams.

"Well she's got the right idea" Harley retorted as she swung her bat low, trying to disorient Cyborg, before Hawkgirl struck back with her mace. Harley was knocked back, but regained her footing, sliding to a stop as she was joined by Batgirl.

"How about a hand?" she offered, as the ex-rogue grinned.

"Sounds fun to me!" she exclaimed before gripping her bat tightly. "Gotham City Sirens, attack!" she yelled before charging forward as the two quickly retaliated against the Thanagarian.

While Arrow was mostly focusing on keeping the added platoon of soldiers at bay from a distance, he had to play double duty with Killer Frost continually firing cold blasts at him when he wasn't looking. Thankfully her aim was about the same as the Frost he knew, but she was still proving to be quite the nuisance. "Do you mind, guy with a bow here?" he sighed, before diving behind some rocks for cover.

"What's the matter? Quivering in fear?" she taunted, while Arrow gave a light chuckle from his hiding place.

"Do you mind if I use that one? It's pretty good?" he asked, before prepping another shot. In an instant, he popped out from his shelter before firing an incendiary arrow, catching the villainess by surprise long enough for him to tie her up with several bolas.

She fell to the ground with an audible grunt before growling in frustration. "No fair!"

"Totally fair" he laughed before rushing to help Black Lightning who had since taken over fighting Hal, while John was focusing on Sinestro.

Despite the battle having some initial success, its length was proving to be the downfall of the resistance. The regime was gaining ground faster than they could hold it, and they were often finding themselves having to backpedal in order to protect Batman and the machine.

Several times, Supergirl had been knocked to the ground by Adam, but she responded with equal force, fighting through the pain of her numerous bruises. Wonder Woman was having trouble landing a lasting blow on Sandman, but sure enough she was cutting off his sandy limbs faster than he could regrow them.

"Easy there Diana, you could hurt someone with that thing… someone like Helena. Or J'onn" Flint spat, before using his mallet to strike her in the gut.

"You know those were accidents!" the Amazon yelled furiously.

"Then what was Lia?!" he yelled back before a sudden shadow overtook them. In an instant, a massive wave washed his sand across the shore, as Aquaman made his appearance. "Sorry I'm late Diana, hopefully I can still be of help?" the king of Atlantis offered.

"It would be appreciated if you could keep Flint down" she nodded, holding back her frustration before she charged at Bruce. The former billionaire barely had time to block her swings before she kicked him to the ground, her sword at his throat. "It didn't have to be this way Bruce…"

"No it didn't. But you made your choice long ago" the aged detective grunted.

"As did you" she replied before raising her sword above her head to strike. As she brought the blade down, Batman closed his eyes, waiting for the blow.

There was the sound of metal colliding with metal, and Wonder Woman froze, feeling the impact rippling all the way to the hilt of her sword, and through her arm.

"Sorry sweetheart but not today" Slade smirked, revealing that he had blocked her sword with his own. "Took me two hours to escape, that's double the last time" he laughed.

"Slade" she snarled.

"And I brought help" he shrugged before shoving her back.

"What sort of help…?" she asked before she was suddenly struck by a powerful blast of vibrating air. She stood back up shakily before seeing the unmasked form of the Shocker. He was missing his left arm, and had a scar along his chin, but there was no mistaking his vibro-smasher pointed right at her.

"Been a while, eh Diana?" he laughed.

"Herman…" she said sourly before standing.

"And he's not alone!" a booming voice sounded before a massive foot swung into Diana, kicking her through the air where she collided with Black Adam. Giganta surveyed her handiwork with a satisfied nod before focusing her attention on the multitude of soldiers still harassing Green Arrow and Black Lightning.

"Giganta, time for you to be brought down to size" Aquaman growled, pointing his trident at her back before he was suddenly impacted from behind by the charging form of the Rhino.

"Aleksei… man it's good to see you" Flint chuckled, slowly reforming.

"Good to see you too Flint. Sorry we're late" he grinned as Cynthia suddenly emerged from the ground near Batman to help him up, as well as drive back the troopers that got too close.

"It's no worry. Just a few extra problems to deal with" Sinestro assured himself with a confident sneer as he flew down to attack John once again. However, the House of Mystery suddenly faded into view as Constantine and Zatanna emerged, using their magic to bind the yellow lantern in chains as he fell to the ground.

"Z, man am I glad to see you again" Flint said thankfully before embracing his wife.

"It's good to see you again Flint. I'm glad I could be here to help" she nodded. "Besides, the kids were getting antsy" she smirked as Keemia burst from the doors alongside another girl that Supergirl didn't recognize. Keemia was clearly older, and the faded scars from long since acquired burns covered the left side of her body in large patches, but she had also grown more adept at her magic, as she used it to incapacitate Sinestro once he tried to escape. The girl next to her as well, picked up several large pieces of the now ruined prison wall with telekinesis, bombarding both Black Adam and Cyborg with them as they tried to stand.

"Are you sure they can handle this? I mean Keemia I know has gotten better but I'm not sure about-" Flint started, pointing at the other girl before Z cut him off.

"Trust me she's ready. Now duck!" she yelled before raising her hands. "Llaw fo kcirb!" she cast, conjuring a massive wall as Hawkgirl was knocked into it by Harley and Batgirl.

The last person to emerge from the house took a moment to adjust his tie before casting aside his jacket. He may be tired, but the Riddler was once again going to fight to save the world. He twisted the top of his cane, drawing out the blade within. "For Lia Briggs" he whispered before jumping in amongst the soldiers and using his sword to deflect blows from their batons and billy clubs.

Frost continued to struggle inside her bindings before large hands grabbed her and untied them. "Easy there… I got you" an all too familiar voice said.

"Shark…' she whispered in shock before suddenly grasping the larger man in a desperate hug. "You're alive! He said you were dead… he said Batman killed you!" the cryokinetic cried as he held her.

"He lied… he lied to me too" he breathed. "Locked me in prison beneath the ocean. I just got out. Now, I'm here for revenge" he said before glaring at the now fuming Man of Steel.

"Then let me join you. Together" she said with a nod before she and King Shark turned on Superman's forces, knocking Wonder Woman away to the ground at Clark's feet. Between their own attack, and the ones from Giganta and Shocker earlier, she was thoroughly beaten.

"Not that I'm ungrateful for the help Cynthia… but how did you know where to find us?" Batman asked.

"Flash. He told us where to find you" the Romani woman explained before using her camouflaging ability to sneak up on more of Superman's troops.

"Flash?" Batman repeated before a familiar rush of wind stopped beside him.

"Yeah, me" Flash said with a slow nod. "I know I'm a little late on this, but I want to make up for that. I was a hero once, and Clark tricked me into giving that up. I want to make amends" he assured Batman. "So I figured I'd gather everyone together"

"I'm glad to have you here Wally" Batman nodded, the slightest of smiles on his face before they heard a roar of rage.

" **ENOUGH!** " Superman declared before rushing forwards towards Batman. Shocker readied a level five blast, but Superman grasped his gauntlet before crushing it, the sound of bones cracking beneath it as Herman's face twisted in pain.

"Herman!" Giganta cried out before going to punch Superman. "Leave him alone!"

She struck him head on, but he defiantly stood against the blow, barely budging. Her eyes widened in sudden fear before he picked her up by her hand and threw her into the prison wall roughly. She plowed through the already ruined building before he rushed in and delivered a vicious blow to her kneecap, shattering it effortlessly.

She cried out in pain as he raised another fist before he felt something wrap around his waist. Magical chains had joined a rope conjured by John's ring as they pulled him back.

"Here 'e comes. He's all yours!" Constantine said, dispelling the magic as John nodded, making a massive train with his willpower before charging forwards. The locomotive collided with the Man of Steel, but he shrugged it off, grasping John by the throat before throwing him aside where he collided with Green Arrow and Black Lightning. "Why don't you two stay dead?"

"It's not that fun mate" Constantine grimaced before blasting him with magical fire, as Keemia and Zatanna joined him in that effort. He raised his hands to block the flames before firing a beam of heat vision, striking Constantine's hands and grazing Zatanna across the face.

"Z!" Flint roared before using a massive sandy fist, hardened into stone to strike at Clark over and over. "Don't you dare touch her!" he yelled as Keemia and the mysterious girl tended to Zatanna and Constantine.

"Don't you dare get in my way again!" the Man of Steel threatened, using his heat vision to melt Flint's hand into a puddle of molten glass.

"Oh dear…" Riddler said in fear, as he tried to stabilize Herman while the two went to check on Giganta.

"I know. It ain't good" Herman grimaced as he helped Giganta shrink back down to her normal height.

After Superman had reduced most of Flint's body to molten glass, he continued marching towards Batman. Shark and Frost tried to cut him off, but they were met with a single back-handed blow that knocked them into the ocean. Rhino tried to charge him, but Superman just broke his nose, before picking up on where Cynthia was with his superhuman hearing and knocking her unconscious with little effort.

"Oh no you don't!" Harley yelled, before swinging her bat at his head, where it immediately broke and splintered on impact. Superman turned to her, his fury now in full force as he grasped her by the throat. She struggled against his grip, choking as he increased the pressure slowly.

"You… What you've taken from me… what you helped _**HIM**_ to take from me… that is unforgivable" he threatened, his heat vision slowly building again. "I should kill you right now"

"You *cough* might not want to do that" she struggled to say.

"And why not?"

"Because I'm still here" Supergirl declared before striking him across the face, making him drop Harley as Batgirl came to help Quinn retreat. Superman fell back on the ground a few feet away before standing again, his right eye bruised and rapidly swelling. Supergirl just hit him… and she did not once hold back.

"You do not deserve to wear that crest… to carry that name…" the blonde teen declared before punching him again, and following up with a wicked uppercut to his chin. "That symbol is a symbol of hope! Not of fear!" she yelled, swinging a downed post and striking him with it repeatedly.

"I may not have a counterpart here… or maybe she just hasn't arrived… but she would be ashamed of you! Ashamed of how you tarnished the House of El!" she yelled. Superman tried to throw his own punch, but she caught it easily, her anger fuelling her strength as she squeezed his fist, the bones in it slowly creaking as she increased the pressure. "You are no hero anymore. You haven't been one for a long time. Right now, you're something else. You're not the Justice Lord Superman, you're worse! He was only a villain, but you? You're a monster!"

"Just who do you think you are… that you can say that to me? That you can hurt me?!" Clark spat, his eye now having swollen shut, but his strength still very apparent.

Kara took a moment to look around, seeing the fallen heroes around her, seeing Deathstroke and Flash helping Arrow and Lantern to stand. Seeing Hal watching Clark with guilt and horror as realization set in. Seeing Shark slowly pull Frost out of the ocean. And then she gave a small nod behind her before turning back to him. "I am Kara Zor-El Kent! The girl of steel! Last daughter of Argos! The Supergirl!" she said valiantly before releasing his hand. "And you're defeated" she smiled before diving to the side. As she moved, she revealed Batman at the helm of his secret weapon, the beam charged and ready to fire, with Sandman having reformed his body into glass in front of it, his index finger pointed right at Clark like a pistol.

"Say 'ah' dirt bag!" Flint smirked before Batman fired the Kryptonite laser. It ran through Flint's glass, increasing its power before it fired in a massive column right into Superman.

" **NOOOO!** " the former hero yelled as the beam struck him head on. It fired on him for ten unending seconds before Batman deactivated it. Once it was done, it dissipated to reveal a very weak, and very defeated Superman who collapsed on the ground, his strength gone.

"It's over Clark" Batman said tiredly before taking out kryptonite laced handcuffs and putting them around the downed Superman's hands. "I'm sorry…. But it's over now"

* * *

"I can't thank you enough for all your help today" Flint said earnestly to Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Supergirl as they each gave their own nods.

"We're glad we could help" John said honestly. After Superman's defeat, his supporters had all bid a hasty retreat. All except for Sinestro and Hal who had been taken by the Guardians of Oa to stand trial for their atrocities.

"Are the others gonna be okay?" Arrow asked with a frown.

"Yeah, they will" Flint nodded with a tired sigh. "Z's gonna have to get used to the eye patch thanks to Clark's heat vision, and Doris is gonna have a hell of a time with her knee busted as bad as it was, but everyone else is looking to be on the mend"

"So what's next for you?" Supergirl wondered.

"We rebuild" Barbara answered. "We're going to try and revive the League correctly this time. Anyone who helped the Insurgency is being considered. Even Slade and Frost are on the short list. As for the rest of us, we're gonna be hunting for the remaining Insurgency members. Then we have funerals to attend. Batman just got Robin back after all this time, and it's gonna take a while to undo all the thoughts Superman put in his head" she said with a small frown, before it was replaced by a weak smile. "But on the bright side, at least the day is finally won"

The trio nodded before moving onto the tele pads and waving goodbye to the heroes of the other dimension. Batman entered some commands on the main console before looking up at them. "You'll be sent back in a few moments. It'll return you to a few minutes after you left"

"Thanks for that. And thank you for the healing spells" Arrow commented. "I wasn't sure I'd explain to Dinah where my newly cracked ribs came from"

Flint laughed at the archer's quip. "I'm sorry to see you go Ollie, but at least I got to see you again. You too John. Goodbye" he waved as the teleporter slowly activated.

"Goodbye! And good luck!" Supergirl waved before the three were sent home.

* * *

"I don't know what to tell you Superman. Whatever abducted them didn't leave any traceable energy-trail" Steel admitted as he looked at the seriously worried Man of Steel. After his team mates had gone missing, Clark immediately dispatched Steel, Batman, and the Atom to help him and Flint come up with any traces of where they went. Their lack of answers only caused his worry to grow more.

"Maybe it wasn't technological at all" Superman said, his desperation showing more. "Maybe we need Dr. Fate or Zatanna"

"Z's still on a mission in Budapest with Hawk and Dove, but she should be back in a few minutes" Flint answered before the same blue light from before appeared, returning the three missing heroes to the exact spot they were standing only minutes prior.

"You're back!" Superman exclaimed before hugging Kara tightly. The other Leaguers present didn't miss the flinches that their formerly missing teammates experienced upon seeing Clark, but they didn't comment as they slowly filed out of the room.

"We're fine Clark" Supergirl assured him. "Just some alternate universe stuff, no biggie" she said, waving him off.

"Yeah it wasn't anything too bad" Arrow shrugged. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go home and maybe stare at a wall for a few hours" he said before bidding a hasty retreat.

"What he said" John nodded before rushing out as well. Superman looked at them funny before turning back to Kara.

"What happened in that other world anyway?" Superman asked curiously.

Kara looked at him, searching for the right answer, but was unable to. There was just no way that she could say 'we fought your evil tyrannical doppelganger' without worrying Clark. After a few seconds she simply shook her head before answering.

"We righted an injustice"

* * *

 **And we're done.**

 **God I forgot how sad Injustice's story really was until I wrote this. It really is a tear-jerker at times.**

 **Now we know what an enraged Superman can be like. And things could have easily gotten worse. A lot worse.**

 **Supergirl's main arc closes as she has grown into her own hero, without needing to be in Clark's shadow. Hooray!**

 **More Shark x Frost! Yay!**

 **Who is that mysterious girl who appeared with Keemia though? Find out in the sequel "Alchemic Justice"! Coming soon...**

 **But enough of the sad stuff. Next chapter will be more comedic in tone, so be on the lookout for that! It will be the robbery of the century. But not just any robbery; it's THE GREAT BRAIN ROBBERY!**

 **Be sure to Read and Review**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	36. The Great Brain Robbery

**Yet another chapter is here!**

 **First, allow me to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and I hope you all had a safe and Happy Holidays!**

 **The new semester for me has begun, and something else has also begun with this new year; the finale of Sandman Unlimited.**

 **Yes unfortunately, we are down to the final three episodes for this little fic. It was quite the adventure, and there are so many highlights for this little story that I can't even list them all. Hopefully as we wind down towards the finale, you all enjoy reading these next few chapters as much as I enjoy writing them.**

 **The Great Brain Robbery is one of my favourite episodes of the show, so this chapter was a special joy to write. The dialogue here I think is among some of my best, especially as far as the humour is concerned.**

 **But enough of that, now for some reviews!:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Well I'm glad you enjoyed the Injustice elements. I thought it would be an interesting twist on the episode.**

 **Lady Pond: I've made an OTP? Success!**

 **Dion ComicWiz: Well I'm glad to know that my chapter gave Kara a satisfying conclusion to her arc. I always detested the way they just abandoned her in the middle of the season, so I was more than glad to fix that here. Glad to know that you as well enjoy Frost and Shark together. Shark's heritage as a demigod will definitely be explored more, especially in the sequel. As for Caitlin and Crystal, I honestly hadn't really thought of using them at all. I might end up using Caitlin, but that remains to be seen. As for the Royal Flush gang, they won't appear in this fic. Ace has already appeared though, and she will appear more in the sequel.**

 **Lucian Naruto: My friend, I agree with you 100%**

 **Thanks again for all the reviews! Be sure to leave a review with this chapter as well, I enjoy reading every single one!**

 **In other news, I have been recently contacted about potentially having a TvTropes page made for my fic. I just want to say, that if someone made a TvTropes page for this fic, I would probably die of happiness. Unfortunately I can't do it myself (I don't know how to use TvTropes for making pages and such, as well as that being generally presumptuous on my part), but if one of you guys made a page for it, I would love to know.**

 **With that out of the way, time for the disclaimer:**

 **I own none of this except the idea. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel Comics and Disney. The Justice League and Legion of Doom/Secret Society of Super-Villains are all owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Please support the official release.**

 **And now, onto the chapter!**

* * *

Patience, as they say, is a virtue. If there was ever a situation where the desired outcome had not been achieved, patience allowed for you to take a brief break and start again. However, for two individuals, patience was in short supply as their own personal frustrations grew.

The first was Lex Luthor. The bald billionaire had succeeded in his mutiny against Grodd only days before (It was rather easy as most of the Society despised the ape's master plan), and had since liberated the piece of Brainiac from him. From that moment he had worked tirelessly to try and reconstitute Brainiac from the piece of scrap, but unfortunately, he was having little luck in this endeavour.

"Brainiac…" he whispered in frustration after another gruelling failure to revive the rogue AI. "You're in there… I can almost _FEEL_ you. Abasing myself before Grodd, then running this unwieldy super-gang, it's all been worth it if I can just free the only piece of you that remains"

It was shortly after saying this that he felt an all too familiar pair of arms snake around his body. He inwardly sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Tala had, in the wake of overthrowing Grodd, suddenly displayed an unnatural amount of affection for him. Lex wasn't fooled, he knew she was only drawn to his power, she saw it as a guaranteed method of protection. But her persistence in this endeavour still irked him to no end, the woman quite literally had no boundaries.

That, and she was previously involved with Gorilla Grodd.

'God this woman is infuriating' he thought to himself. 'I have no time for this, I need to free Brainiac… I suppose I do miss a woman's touch… oh how I miss you Mercy Graves' he nodded before scowling again.

Tala, as it happened, was the second individual with a serious lack of patience. No matter what she did, no matter what she said, she couldn't seem to draw Lex's attention, much less his affection. He just stayed in his lab, cooped up and talking to that rock as he worked tirelessly on who knows what. How could this man not see what was clearly in front of him.

"Lex, don't talk to the rock" she cooed, whispering into his ear. "Why don't we…"

'Stay out of this, witch!" Luthor interrupted, pushing her off to the side at her insinuation. He had neither the time nor the will to deal with anything of that sort… at least not with her.

Setting the Brainiac fragment into a special device, he pressed a few buttons on a nearby control pad before waiting patiently. Instantly, several lasers and instruments analysed the fragment, attempting to harvest as much information as possible from it. When nothing was found, Lex snarled before punching the wall in frustration.

After taking a moment to catch himself, he sighed before sitting back in a nearby chair. "It makes no sense…" he muttered. "The smallest scrap of Brainiac should be sufficient to reconstitute him" he continued, rubbing his eyes in fatigue as Tala gently massaged his shoulders.

"Don't worry darling" Tala attempted to assure him, a hopeful look on her face. "I'm sure it will be-"

"Unless Grodd is somehow preventing it" the billionaire concluded, interrupting her before he stood up and stormed out of the lab. "I'll just have to fix that"

Tala watched him leave before scoffing, folding her arms as she followed him in frustration. "Men…" she muttered under her breath.

* * *

Down in the sub-levels of the Society's headquarters, there was an old storeroom that had been converted into a makeshift cell for their one and only prisoner, Gorilla Grodd. Initially Luthor had thought of killing Grodd, but he recognized the importance of keeping the telepathic ape around. He clearly still had secrets that he had kept from the rest of the Society, and Luthor knew they could prove useful to him.

The intelligent ape was bound to the floor by large iron shackles, his eyes slowly rising as Luthor and Tala entered the room. "What do you want Luthor?" Grodd asked, in a tired voice.

"How do I unlock the Brainiac code?" Lex demanded, his frustration barely contained. At his indignation, the ape couldn't help but smirk.

"You're a genius. Figure it out" he chuckled smugly.

"Tell me, you leering, manipulative, knuckle-dragger!" the billionaire demanded as Grodd continued to chuckle.

"Oh Lex, Lex… you can't expect me to give up my only bargaining chip" he grinned. "What's in it for me?"

Luthor regarded him with a silent, cold fury before simply sneering. "When this is over, I'm going to sell your body for dog meat" he declared before storming out of the room. Tala watched him for a moment before beginning to follow.

"It must pain you to see me like this" Grodd called to her. "After what we've been to one another"

"My taste in boyfriends has evolved" she said before quickly moving to catch up with Luthor. "Lex, wait. You're the leader now, you don't need to lock horns with him!"

"The only thing that matters now is a speck of information locked somewhere deep inside Grodd's thick skull" Luthor retorted, keeping his gaze fixed forwards as he walked.

'Come on, there must be something to gain his favour' Tala mentally chastised herself, before a sudden idea came to her. An idea that might finally put her in Luthor's favour. "Yes, okay… So, we break open his head and take it"

At that, Luthor suddenly paused. There was a brief moment of silence, Tala holding her breath cautiously, unsure of how Lex would react. Then, he slowly turned to look at her. On his face was a smile. A devious, malicious, scheming smile.

* * *

After explaining to Lex exactly what her plan was to retrieve the necessary information, he was eager to get back to work in his laboratory. The rest of the Society however, was less than pleased with the lack of any action since the recent mutiny and had asked for a full meeting. Luthor had to shake his head at this; super-humans could be so fickle at times. But if anything else, it would allow for him to look over the Society roster and gauge their obedience.

As he and Tala filed into the room to begin, he immediately took notice of who was present. It turned out, in recent days most of the Society had decided to take their chances and strike out on their own. As a result, there was a significant lack of on hand members left to take note of.

The Rogues had all decided to stay, but they were fiercely loyal to each other. Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Heatwave, and Weather Wizard kept to themselves normally. But since they acted as one mind on most decisions they carried a fair bit of weight when they did decide to act as a unit. Sinestro and Atomic Skull were heavy hitting players, but they were for the most part fine with the period of quiet in the wake of Grodd's downfall. At least they recognized the importance of taking time to plan their next moves carefully.

Killer Frost was a different story. As it turned out, Shark's capture for the squad after failing to retrieve the Viking ship of Prince John had left her far more irritable than anyone could have anticipated. She became even more hostile around people, and she was close to killing numerous other members for even the smallest indiscretions. These proved to be especially dangerous incidents without Grodd, as she clearly didn't have the same begrudging respect for Luthor. It was only Grodd's telepathy that kept her in line this long without her shark.

The biggest worry for Luthor was the sheer number of D-List villains that were left. They were largely inconsequential and were not the biggest threats. But outside of that they were now the bulk of the Society and they were quickly proving to be a dangerous faction. Even then, several D-Listers had also left. All in all, the Society was a far cry from its former glory.

Luthor had to inwardly chuckle at the villains left though. 'Bloodsport, Lady Lunar, Goldface, Monocle, Hellgrammite… these nobodies couldn't rob a five year old's lemonade stand' he inwardly mused.

Doctor Polaris had stood to face Luthor, acting as a sort of spokesman for the other members. "We don't think you've got what it takes to run the show" he said plainly, not wasting any time. "You've been acting unbalanced, holed up in that lab, talking to yourself"

"After Grodd tried to turn the world into apes, you can imagine how seriously we'd take something like that" Sinestro added. With that, Lex had to agree. "What are you going to do, make everybody bald?" the lantern asked.

"Maybe it's time for younger, smarter, more aggressive leadership" Polaris chimed in again, clenching his fist as though anticipating combat.

"Really?" Luthor asked, clearly not intimidated by the crowd. He could easily outsmart them all, and they posed no threat thanks to his own fail safes. In fact he seemed completely disinterested by the notion.

"Yeah" Polaris nodded, scowling at Lex's supposed boredom. "Why should any of us follow you?"

Luthor slowly stood up before looking each of the present members in the eye. If he knew them as well as he thought he did, then his solution was guaranteed to work. "Because I'll show you how to make more money in one day than you've made in your entire lives"

That one statement caught the interest of all present, with Lex smirking at his success in reigning them in. 'Child's play' he chuckled inwardly.

* * *

Green Lantern groaned in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose, before looking up at Flash with a tired expression. "Look, we know Grodd's running some kind of organized group. I'm tired of just putting out fires"

"I agree. We need to find this new Secret Society, and take the fight to them" Mister Terrific agreed.

"The fact that we haven't seen the Society for a while just makes it worse" Flint nodded. "We have no idea what they could be planning now, and it's not like we don't already have enough problems" he pointed out. It was true, despite the lack of action from the Society as of late, there were already enough dangers the League had to deal with. Eiling drinking an experimental formula from the 40's to turn into some hulking monster definitely stood out in his mind.

As it stood now, they wanted to take down the Society before they could do anything else in an attempt for world domination, or whatever nefarious ideal they had. The only problem with this action, was the reluctance of a certain speedster. This was why Flint, Red Tornado, Mister Terrific, Green Lantern, and Doctor Fate were all gathered together with Flash in the bridge of the Watchtower.

"I know guys" Flash said, holding his hands up defensively. "But there has to be another way!"

"This is the best… maybe _only_ shot we have" Mister Terrific replied evenly. "When Grodd had you under his telepathic control a couple of years ago, he left a psychic imprint in your mind"

"I can mystically access that imprint and trace it back to Grodd, wherever he hides" Dr. Fate added with a nod.

" _And when we do find Grodd, we will likely find Luthor, Bizarro, and any other number of wanted individuals_ " Red Tornado said.

"And I'm all for that, but I don't like strangers nosing around in my brain. No offense, Doc" Flash said hastily.

"I assure you, I won't be reading your thoughts" Fate corrected. "Your mind is simply a portal"

"This really seems like it's more up J'onn's alley" Flash pointed out, slowly backing up. However, he would soon bump into a chair, which Flint pushed him down into.

"Yeah well, J'onn's not here" Green Lantern pointed out. "He's still on his extended leave in Flint's universe"

"Which reminds me, I should really see how he's doing at some point" Flint mused, cupping his chin. "But since that is neither here nor there, just sit down, shut up, and get this over with. I got a double date to get to when we're done here" he continued. Z had come home one day with four tickets to a local ballet and recommended a double-date. Initially she wanted to ask Ollie and Dinah, but after Eiling became a monster, Ollie was still nursing a few broken ribs. That's when Flint stepped in and recommended Aleksei and Cynthia. Cynthia had recently renamed herself Mirage, and the two women were starting to become better friends so they thought it would be a good opportunity.

"The only reason you're doing this is because Fire isn't here" Flash pointed out, as the Brazilian woman had become rather protective of him as of late.

"Well it's a good thing she won't be back until later then, isn't it?" Flint snarked. 'He does have a point though, don't want to get Beatriz angry…' he thought to himself.

"We need to find Grodd before he hurts anyone else Flash" Green Lantern started again. "This may be our only shot"

Flash looked at all of them, before giving a defeated sigh. "Fine, just be careful with my head. It's where I keep all my one-liners"

"How would we ever go on without them?" Flint asked dryly as Fate stepped forwards, placing a hand over Flash's head. "Show me the mind of Gorilla Grodd" he commanded, his eyes glowing. For a moment, there was silence, before he turned to the others. "The imprint has faded over time. It's still traceable, but I will need a conduit to focus my energy"

Flint pondered that for a moment before turning his body to glass. "Would this work?"

Fate cupped his chin before nodding. "It should be a great assistance in this endeavour" he nodded as Flint put one hand on Flash's head, and the other on Fate's helmet. "Alright, let's get this show on the road"

Fate said the incantation again, as the lights from his eyes suddenly shone even brighter than before.

That's when the screaming began.

* * *

"This is your last chance" Luthor declared as he finished setting up a machine before placing a headpiece on Grodd. "Tell me what I want to know Grodd, or I'll pull the information from your bleeding frontal lobe"

Using his already constructed device to enhance Grodd's telepathy, and Tala's own mystic achievements, he was easily able to make something that could, at least in theory, access the Gorilla's mind.

Grodd was unamused and simply spat at the billionaire. "You're a sadistic child. An infant playing with power tools!" the ape scowled.

Luthor simply shrugged in response. "Your funeral" he replied before putting an identical helmet on his own head and sitting in a chair across from Grodd. The other members of the Society gathered curiously to watch, as Tala's hands glowed a mystical green before she placed them on the foreheads of Grodd and Luthor.

That's when the screaming began.

* * *

Back on the Watchtower, Fate was suddenly flung back violently, while Flint was forced back into his sand form, which promptly fell to the ground in a pile of dust. The other heroes watched in surprise before Lantern moved over to Flint, who was slowly reforming.

"Flint, are you okay?" he asked as Red Tornado helped Fate to stand.

"Wait… that isn't Flint" the sorcerer said with worry.

"What do you mean it's not him?" Flash asked with a frown.

"Where… am I? What did you do to me?" Flint groaned before looking down at his hands, slowly flexing them. They then shifted to his maces, then to his mallets, then to blades, then to axes, before going back to his hands. A morbid smirk then appeared on his face.

"That's Lex Luthor!" Fate declared, before a massive column of sand spawned from Flint's side, knocking Lantern away into Mister Terrific. He then burst into a storm before rushing through Red Tornado and Dr. Fate, finally arriving at the teleporters. He formed a long blade before holding it to the throat of one of the nearby technicians.

"Get me out of here now, or I kill you where you stand!" he snarled.

"Do what he says Tony!" Mister Terrific said desperately.

"We can't just let Luthor loose in Flint's body. We've seen what normal Flint can do, Luthor would be unstoppable if he ever reached the ocean!" Lantern warned.

"Then we'd better stop him quick" Flash nodded before grabbing a selection of nearby tools and throwing them at the control panel. Instantly, several large tools embedded themselves in the panel, making it unusable by Luthor. "That should buy us some time"

Luthor scowled in response before throwing the technician away. Several heroes tried to rush him at once, but he spawned large tentacles of sand from his back, using them to toss away Captain Atom and Crimson Fox, before he formed himself into one large battering ram, barrelling through Shazam and forcing his grains through a crack in the station doors.

Luthor was now loose on the Watchtower.

* * *

Immediately following the pain and screaming, Flint was aware that he had somehow fallen to the floor. He held his head with a grimace, a resounding pain throbbing inside it as he slowly opened his eyes. Everything was shaky at first, but as his vision came into focus, he started to notice the various villains surrounding him.

"Lex, are you alright?" Tala asked, as 'Lex' turned to look at her. He stared for a moment before looking at his hands. He flexed his fists slowly as one horrifying realization came to his mind.

'Oh my god… I'M IN LEX LUTHOR'S BODY!' Flint screamed in his own mind. He only allowed a few seconds of surprise though. He was surrounded by the Society. Any wrong moves and they would kill him for sure. For the time being, he'd have to play along. Which meant once again, he'd have to be a villain.

"I'm fine" he growled out, standing again before putting a sneer on his face. Flint knew how villains operated, and above all he knew how Luthor operated. Cold, calculating, egotistical, narcissistic. 'I get to be Osborn and Octavius combined… lovely' he thought before shaking his head. As he looked to the other villains with a glare, he noticed that they wouldn't stare for too long before they shied their glances away.

"Did… did you get what you wanted from Grodd?" Tala asked with a worried look on her face.

He turned to see the gorilla currently bound to a chair, with a strange device on his forehead. It didn't take too long for him to put two and two together; clearly in the wake of Grodd's failure, Lex had lead a coup. Not that Flint could blame him, a world full of gorillas was a pretty silly endgame.

Unfortunately, that did nothing to answer what exactly Luthor was looking for. As such, only one answer seemed realistic:

"No" he said with a scowl. "Something went wrong. When my head stops pounding, I'll figure out what it was"

"Yeah, you do that" Polaris said impatiently. "But only after you explain to us this plan you have that will make us all rich"

'Aw crap, better think of something quick' he thought, trying to come up with a quick plan. After a few seconds, he remembered Flash' comment about Beatriz. She was supervising the loading of a train at the US Mint… a train that now carried fifty-million dollars.

"Simple, gather everyone in the briefing room, I'd rather not explain this twice" he said in a derisive tone, before Polaris went with Sinestro to gather the others. Tala, much to his dismay, kissed his cheek before leaving as well.

'Did not know about that… wonder if Lex is as disturbed by it as I am' Flint thought to himself before wiping his cheek once the room was empty.

"I know that isn't Lex" Grodd suddenly spoke, causing Flint to turn around quickly. The gorilla's expression appeared to be bemused if anything. "Though, to be honest, you did give an excellent performance"

"Eh, I've had experience being a villain before" Flint shrugged before frowning. "Wait, how did you know?"

"I could feel Dr. Fate try to enter my mind at the same time as Luthor" he explained. "And somehow, Fate switched your minds. It was an incredible coincidence really"

"Yeah, that figures" Flint grimaced.

"So tell me, now that you're in Luthor's body, what are you going to do?" he asked curiously.

"Try to survive until I can get switched back" Flint shrugged. "But that all hinges on whether or not you're gonna rat me out to the others"

"I don't think so. After all, most of my associates backed Luthor's takeover immediately, and the rest soon followed. I won't reveal your secret, but I won't help you either. It'll be far too entertaining to see how long you can keep up the charade before they discover you and rip you limb from limb"

Flint just blinked before shrugging. "Well either way, Luthor suffers. Might as well"

Grodd gave a barking laugh before nodding. "I must agree, that is a most delightful way to look at this"

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go plan a heist" Flint said before leaving the laughing gorilla behind in the now empty room.

* * *

Polaris and Sinestro had managed to gather the others rather quickly, so when Flint arrived in the briefing room, he got to see just how big the Society was. Suffice to say, it appeared sizeable, but still smaller than he imagine.

"Alright Lex, we got everyone like you asked, now hurry up and explain your plan. We're getting antsy" Polaris said with a scowl.

Flint simply put on his best Luthor sneer before standing at the head of the table. "If you would stop acting like some petulant toddler for more than a minute, I might do just that" he answered before taking a moment to focus himself. "My plan is simple. So simple that the League will be likely to overlook it" he began, gathering their attention.

"At exactly ten-o'clock this morning, a train was loaded with over fifty-million dollars' worth of bills from the US Mint. That same train is currently passing through its most perilous leg of the journey to Metropolis; several hundred miles of open land. No civilization, and no heroes, other than a minor guard station five miles from the tracks" he explained, remembering the exact plans from the League escort earlier. "If we are quick enough, we should be able to take most of, if not all the money, on board"

Sinestro looked thoughtful before he spoke up. "Alright, just who do you want there with you?"

"You and Doctor Polaris are obvious candidates. Your powers will aid us getting inside and slowing the train. Atomic Skull will be our added muscle. Tala shall be present if we need a quick escape, or if any of the League's meddlesome sorcerers decide to appear"

"Like that Zatanna woman? Please Lex, I'm far superior to that two-bit hack" the purple-haired woman scoffed before Flint immediately rounded on her.

"She is not some two-bit hack!" he suddenly yelled, catching all the villains off-guard. 'Crap, now how am I gonna cover this up?'

"Don't tell me you're defending one of those heroes Lex" Polaris said with a condescending glare.

"I'm not defending those heroes for a minute" Flint quickly answered, regaining his former composure. "It's just that sort of thinking will get us all captured"

"What do you mean exactly?" Skull asked.

"Think about it. When have we all failed? When have we all given the heroes a chance to get the second wind?" he asked rhetorically. "The minute we gloat, the minute we take the opportunity to assert our own dominance we lose. We cannot afford to underestimate any of them even for a second, or it could be our downfall.

"Look at me, I hate Superman with all my being, but that does not mean I will ever believe him to be inferior in the middle of combat. The second I do, I've given him the chance to overcome any and all attacks I make. That goes for you with Green Lantern" he said accusingly, pointing at Sinestro. "Or any of us with the Flash, or with Zatanna, or with that meddlesome Sandman. We treat them like the threats they are, and then gloat after we've gotten away as millionaires"

Once he finished, he noted the looks of confidence and understanding on their faces; albeit the fact that some were mixed with resentment. "Now if that's all, I expect you to prepare for this operation. The coordinates of the train are on this paper" he said, setting the sheet on the table. "Track its movements, and once it's approaching the empty stretch of prairie through Colorado, we will move out and start this operation. Any questions?" he asked, looking at the lack of any questions from the various villains. "Alright, dismissed"

As the various villains left the room, Tala moved over to his side again. "Well Lex, now that we have some time before our operation, perhaps we could…"

"No" Flint cut her off, pushing her aside. "I'll need this time to finish final preparations, and to come up with some other plan to get that information from Grodd" he said before leaving the room and entering the lab, locking the door behind him.

* * *

Once Luthor had gotten loose on the Watchtower, Mister Terrific had immediately put out an alert, telling the heroes to apprehend him at all costs. The ticking clock on this, as Flash pointed out half-jokingly was that they didn't have much time before Zatanna returned. That caused all present o involuntarily shiver.

Luthor was soon discovering, that while Sandman's own powers were simple at first glance, they made up for that in flexibility and versatility. It took him only a few moments to master all of these abilities, and he quickly put this to good use.

He used his glass forms to deflect energy from Doctor Light and Green Lantern. His own myriad of weapons helped to make quick work of Hawk, Dove, Vigilante, and Stargirl, while his invulnerability allowed him to avoid blows from Shazam, Vixen, S.T.R.I.P.E., and Commander Steel with ease.

However, despite the ease with which he could stop the various League members, he was still preferring to make a stealthy approach. As such, when he heard the approach of more figures from around the corner, he quickly ducked into a nearby bathroom to catch his breath and form a new plan.

"I need to get off this tower" he scowled before looking in the mirror, seeing the familiar face of the Sandman. "How does this fool hide his true identity anyway?" he asked before seeing a pair of glasses unconsciously fall from the sand. He looked at them in confusion before shaking his head. "There's no way that would work"

He said skeptically before placing them on. Looking back in the mirror, he noted despite their simplicity, they proved more effective than he anticipated. "I expected nothing… and yet it works"

"Yeah it surprises us too" a new voice announced, Luthor turning to the door to see the recently arrived Shocker. "But now that you've had your fun, it's time for you to go away"

"Please, how can you stop me?" he scoffed. While the Shocker was a new entity to him, he knew about the gauntlets. They fired a focused blast of vibrating air, effectively like miniature shockwaves, that could be aimed. Their intensity varied, but they proved incredibly destructive. Still, he didn't believe they would be any serious harm.

"See that's how I know you're Luthor. He'd never figure this out" Shocker smirked under his mask before twisting a dial on one of the gauntlets. Instantly a wave of vibrating air pulsated out en masse towards Luthor. To Luthor's sudden surprise, the resulting disturbance caused the sandy body to slowly crumble away.

"What? How is this possible?!" he asked in shock.

"Simple. The silicate in the sands can't hold up to the finely tuned vibrations in my vibrosmashers. They disrupt your ability to keep a solid body, effectively making you crumble to dust" Shocker said smugly. "Now we wait for the others to arrive and restrain you"

Luthor scowled before coming up with a solution. Sure, the vibrations reduced his sand to a useless pile of dust, but he still had a human form. Focusing his energy, he turned back to normal before suddenly punching Shocker in the knee, to knock him to the ground, once he was down, Luthor quickly stood before rushing out of the bathroom.

"Aw hell" Shocker muttered before touching his communicator. "T, he's gone again"

"Don't worry, he's not getting off the station" Mister Terrific said. "We've shut down all the teleporters and locked down the Javelin bay"

"Alright, but how are you gonna get Flint back? He's running to the bridge and we still don't have an answer" Shocker sighed.

"Fate's with me right now, and is working on a spell to switch their minds back. If you can lead him back to the bridge without any deviation, we might be able to stop this"

"You'd better hope so" Shocker answered snidely before rushing off after Luthor yet again.

* * *

'Gotta admit, the airship? That's a nice touch' Flint thought with a nod as he watched the Society put fuel inside a large airship for their robbery.

In the last hour he had spent with the Society, he found it hard to stay focused on a single task for very long. He was trying to contact the League somehow, but found it impossible with the distractions. First, he learned about Giganta having escaped prison. Unfortunately, it was through a brawl she was having with Rampage. Reluctantly, he had to break the two apart just to stop them from destroying the whole base.

Then there was Tala. That woman was, in a word, relentless. Flint had seen Tala before. The woman had previously been hanging all over Grodd like he was the sexiest man alive (an image he desperately wanted to leave his head), but now it seemed like she was focused on nothing but seducing Lex. He could only discern that her interest laid with the power and not the person.

After spending most of his time trying to avoid some of the more… provocative advances she had made, Flint had to pity Lex. Between Tala and the petty infighting, this Society was turning into a real headache. It was a miracle that it worked so effectively at all.

His train of though was broken by Atomic Skull approaching from behind. "Luthor, we're ready to go" Skull announced.

"Excellent. Is there anything else I should know?" Flint asked, having spent his time as well perfecting the Luthor personality.

"Yeah. Tala's behind you" Skull answered, a hint of amusement in his voice as the sorceress suddenly embraced Flint from behind.

"Tala…" he groaned. "Go onto the ship. We're leaving momentarily and I want you ready for action" he said, removing the woman's arms from around him.

"Anything for you, baby" Tala cooed, kissing him before she immediately rushed off to the airship. Flint's eye twitched at the action before he turned to Atomic Skull. Apparently, he wasn't the only one disturbed by the woman's actions.

"That… was even worse than I expected" Flint said dryly as Skull winced.

"You sure about that?" the other villain asked.

"Yes… I'm quite sure" he nodded before the two approached the airship as well.

* * *

Back on the tower, Luthor had arrived to the doors of the bridge, he used his sand once again to sneak inside, hoping to find some other way off of the tower. Unfortunately for him, he just found himself surrounded by the heroes again.

"Take him down!" Mister Terrific ordered, as Flash and Red Tornado both rushed at him. Flash tried to aim a punch, but his fist went right through his sand uselessly. Tornado had more success, as he formed a small cyclone to scatter the sand away all across the room. Luthor, however, reformed just as quickly as he was scattered.

"This is getting us nowhere! He just forms faster than we can keep him down!" Flash said in disdain.

" _He is correct. Our attempts to stop him are ineffective at best_ " Red Tornado confirmed.

"We just need to keep him solid!" Green Lantern said, having arrived again, forming a shield to stop the barrage of mallets and maces that Luthor assaulted him with.

Mister Terrific suddenly looked at the control panel before smirking. "I think I know how. Everyone grab onto something!" he yelled before pressing a button.

A loud beeping sound was suddenly heard before a synthesized voice spoke. " _Artificial Gravity has been deactivated_ "

Luckily for Flash, he grabbed onto a railing just in time, while the others flew safely as they all started to float. For Luthor however, that meant every grain was now moving on its own, slowly starting to break apart.

"No! You think this will stop me?" he taunted before using all of his will to pull the grains back together and return to a solid body. He was now hanging upside down, but he was in one piece.

"No, but this will" Terrific smirked before pressing another button.

" _Artificial Gravity has been reactivated_ " the synthesized voice repeated before the gravity returned at once. Immediately Luthor fell to the ground head-first, quickly rendering himself unconscious.

"Dr. Fate, I think your patient just anesthetized himself" Mister Terrific laughed as Fate bound Luthor with mystical chains to stop him escaping again. Once he finished, Terrific reactivated the teleporters. That quickly proved to be a bad decision as they activated, sending Zatanna directly into their midst.

"It's about time they're online again!" she said seriously. "Flint and I have to get ready for a date in twenty minutes and…" she trailed off, once she saw Flint bound in chains and several heroes standing around him with incriminating looks on their faces. "What… are you doing… to my husband?" she asked slowly, but dangerously.

"Oh no…" Flash whispered in fear.

* * *

The villains, meanwhile, had begun their operation in earnest and had successfully taken over the train. Once Polaris opened the doors to let them in, it was a simple matter of knocking out the crew and securing the cars. As they worked, Flint was looking for an opportunity to break off and contact the League. That proved to be a little more difficult until he happened across one of the communication stations aboard the train.

'Perfect! Now I can call for help… and stop the robbery I started' he though before immediately pouring over the station.

"What are you doing?" Polaris asked with a sneer. Flint sighed to himself before turning to look at Doctor Polaris.

"I'm monitoring the communications to make sure they don't call for help" he answered as though it were obvious.

"Shouldn't you be out there, supervising?" Polaris retorted.

"I can do that from here. The better question is why aren't you helping? Your powers will save us precious time. So go!" Flint ordered.

Polaris gave him one last sneer before leaving. Once he was gone, Flint returned to the communicator before putting in the signal for the Watchtower. It took him a few minutes, but he finally found the frequency he needed.

"Hello? Watchtower, respond!" he whispered.

There was a period of silence before he got an answer. "Who is this? How did you get this frequency?"

"Mister Terrific, its Flint. I somehow got trapped inside Lex Luthor's body, and now I'm with the Society and robbing that train that left the US Mint" he answered hurriedly.

"Understood. Luthor was in control of your body as well, but we managed to stop him" he answered. In the background, Flint could hear Zatanna yelling in anger.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SWITCHED THEIR BODIES?!" she demanded.

"Glad you stopped him" Flint nodded, smirking a little at how Z was berating them. "Send a team to my position now!"

"Got it. Fire, Ice, Steel, and Wonder Woman are en route. They should be there any-"

Any further answer was halted by the communication station being crushed like a tinfoil ball. Flint grimaced before turning to see Tala and Doctor Polaris staring at him. Polaris seemed amused while Tala was furious.

"Told you he was up to something" the ferrokinetic said with a smirk.

"Any last words imposter?" Tala asked, her voice venomous and clearly enraged.

Suddenly, the door to the train was ripped off as Wonder Woman and the other Leaguers in her team leapt inside. The villains were caught by surprise as Flint smirked himself.

"Just that when Luthor gets back, he'll be pissed you failed" he laughed before punching Polaris across the face. He tried to do the same to Tala but he was suddenly caught by Sinestro's ring as he had his own scowl.

"Leave the money. The League is right behind us, and we have to go!" he ordered as Tala created a portal for them to escape. The villain immediately stepped through, Flint in tow, before the portal closed behind them.

* * *

"We have to hurry! They figured out It isn't Luthor!" Mister Terrific said seriously as Dr. Fate nodded.

"Understood. But I need more time to prepare the spell!" the sorcerer said.

"Need more time… give me that!" Zatanna yelled before taking the Helmet of Fate from his head. Fate was turned back to Kent Nelson, before Z put the helmet on herself. A rush of new power suddenly surrounded her before she cast an incantation. " **HCTIWS TNILF DNA ROHTUL KCAB OT LAMRON!** "

There was a massive burst of magical energy that surrounded Flint before it subsided. Zatanna then removed the helmet before giving it back to Fate.

"Oh god my head hurts" Flint groaned before looking up at the other heroes. "Oh thank god, you got me back to normal"

"Is that really Flint though?" Flash asked.

"Yes it's me you idiot" Flint scowled.

"How can we be sure?" Z asked, her eyes narrow and deadly.

Flint had a good amount of survival instincts in him. Chief among him was not to crack a joke at Zatanna's expense, especially not at a time like this. Against his better judgment, he did this anyway.

"Well, for starters, you have a birthmark shaped like a heart right above your-" he started before Z suddenly placed her hand over his mouth to keep him quiet.

"It's him" she said, her face swiftly becoming a dark crimson as Flash and the others broke into a myriad of chuckles.

"Well, not that we have you back Flint, can you at least tell us where their base is?" Mister Terrific asked as Flint shook his head.

"Nah, sorry. All I know is that it's in a swamp. I didn't get the chance to find any specific coordinates at all" he apologized.

"Well that can't be helped" Lantern sighed. "I'm glad you're back though Flint. You pack a wallop when you want to"

"Heh, you think that's bad? I can't imagine what Luthor is suffering right now" he grinned before Z grabbed his hand. "Think on that later. For now, we have a date to get to" she said before dragging him off.

* * *

Luthor grunted in pain as Doctor Polaris punched him in the gut repeatedly. Once the Society had arrived back at base, they immediately shackled him to a chair before attempting to interrogate him, still believing he was an imposter. "I'm telling you, it is me!" Lex said through the pain.

"I bet it's the Martian" Polaris reasoned.

"I say we torture him until he returns to his true form" Sinestro suggested.

"I _**AM**_ Lex Luthor!" Lex cut in. "Dr. Fate switched my mind, but I'm back now"

"It _may_ be true…" Tala reasoned.

"That doesn't matter"" Polaris cut her off. "I'm running things from now on"

"You?" Luthor laughed. "Oh don't kid yourself, you'd have everyone here arrested or dead within a month!"

"Whether you're just the lookalike or the real thing, I'd hate to be you right now" he snarled before summoning large chunks of metal from the walls and forming into spears. Then, he used his powers to make them surround Luthor. However, before they could impale the billionaire, he pressed a button on his belt. Suddenly, the spears turned around and were now surrounding Polaris.

Luthor scowled before breaking the shackles and standing up. "That's how you know I'm Luthor. When I augmented your powers, I also made sure that I could override your abilities. Would anyone else care to try me?" he asked. Most of the villains present had been in some way been powered up by Luthor, and as such, they all took involuntary steps back in fear.

Luthor nodded smugly at that before leaving. However, Tala still insisted on following him.

"Lex, is that really you?" she asked hopefully, cupping his face gently.

He looked at her for a moment, an extending quiet between them before he suddenly grasped her wrists and flung her away with a disgusted sneer.

"Off course it's me you twit!" he yelled before returning to his lab. It was time to return to his preferred work; Brainiac.

* * *

 **And we're done!**

 **God I loved writing this chapter so much. So many great moments...**

 **Lots of Easter Eggs, lots of callbacks, and one very stealthy future Easter Egg for the sequel. See if you guys can figure that out. If anyone does, I'll be very impressed.**

 **But now, the finale can begin in earnest. Next time, we tune in to the Legion of Doom once again... for they are going on a trip... TO SPAAAAAAACE!**

 **And we shall see if Brainiac will finally return to the land of the living... or will something else return instead?**

 **As always, be sure to read and review.**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	37. Alive!

**And we are in the final stretch of the story here now; part one of the finale is here!**

 **And what an episode we have for you today folks! Time for the villains to take center-stage for their very own episode to shine!**

 **Apologies once again for the wait, but I had to make this chapter extra epic for you all. Besides, it is our TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Can you guys believe it, two years already! For this occasion, and the fact that the finale is next, I would like to announce the next QnA special.**

 **Just leave as many questions as you would like in the reviews, or even send them in PM to me and I shall answer them for you in the intro to the next chapter! Ask me as many questions as you want, if you already send a review with a question and you have another you want to ask, go right ahead and make and ask it! Leave as many as you want! And they can be about anything; the future stories, the sequel fic, character moments, personal opinions, they can be about anything. Nothing is off the table.**

 **Speaking of reviews, let's take a look at them!:**

 **JJChandler: What can I say? I just had to do it.**

 **Lucian Naruto: Hell hath no fury like Zatanna, well at least as long as it comes to Flint.**

 **The Keeper of Worlds: Indeed it is. Deadman's departure in the show was always a disappointment so I was more than happy to fix it. The Light will continue to grow... right into the sequel.**

 **Creeves59: I'm glad you've enjoyed my little story**

 **Killer Frost 225: I very much enjoyed writing this comedy. Zatanna was definitely among the apex of it for this chapter too. And are you sure? Did you really? Have you found my Easter Egg? Because if you did that's impressive.**

 **Alpha701: Fuck yeah!**

 **Thanks again for all the reviews I appreciate them all every time.**

 **Be sure to keep sending them, especially for the QnA next chapter!**

 **And now, onto the disclaimer: I don't own anything beyond the idea and inspiration. Sandman and all related characters are owned by Marvel and Disney. The Secret Society/Legion of Doom, Lex Luthor, Darkseid, and the Justice League are all owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Please support the official releases.**

 **And with that out of the way, onto part one of this fic's finale!**

* * *

With Luthor's return to his own body, the Secret Society had once again returned to business as usual. For Luthor, that meant once again returning to the depths of his laboratory to continue working on yet another attempt to bring back Brainiac. For the rest of the Society, however, that meant they were once again left with nothing to do. They were becoming antsy and impatient. Some still had loyalty to Luthor, no matter how strained, but others were very clearly unhappy with the recent developments.

And with Luthor's current attempt to revive Brainiac currently shaking the entirety of their headquarters with violent explosive energy, they were more than a little worried for his mental state. A crowd of them had gathered outside of the laboratory door, watching the wall shake as the door occasionally shot forth bolts of lightning.

Tala was among those gathered. After a few minutes of watching the energy burst from the door, she shoved through the crowd to reach the lab. She passed Blockbuster, Goldface, and Atomic Skull, all of them wearing varying degrees of worry or frustration on their face before she entered inside.

Inside the laboratory, Lex was hunched over a control panel, goggles firmly on his face, as he gave a manic grin to the scene before him. The Brainiac fragment was suspended in the air by pure energy as he bombarded it with electricity of varying frequencies.

All of the apparent destruction this was causing seemed to go unnoticed by him, as Tala shielded herself from the debris before walking to stand behind him. "Lex, stop it! You will blow us all to pieces!" she said sharply, her tone full of worry as she slowly placed a hand on his shoulder.

Lex simply shook her hand off, a sneer on his face. "Not now woman! Something's happening…. It's… It's…!" he said excitedly, watching the energy spontaneously get brighter. However, there was suddenly a burst of light before the machine exploded. Luthor shielded himself behind the console, and Tala behind him, as the explosion subsided.

Once it was over, the Brainiac fragment fell to the floor harmlessly. Lex stared at the piece, slowly removing his goggles. "It's just another steaming flop!" he bellowed angrily before smashing the console with his fists. Once it was thoroughly destroyed, he moved on to throwing around the other laboratory machinery, as well as breaking everything in sight in his frustration.

Tala watched him, a worried expression on her face. "Baby…"

"Nothing works!" he yelled, ignoring Tala as he continued to vent his frustrations.

She watched him continue to rant and rave before she stormed over. "Lex, forget about bringing back Brainiac" she said seriously.

Lex just regarded her with a frustrated sneer. "I don't need input from some crystal gazing parasite; one who's confused a wench's grip on power with the real thing!" he raved, forcing her to back up with each step. She eventually stopped when her foot connected with the Brainiac fragment on the floor.

She picked it up before holding it out to Lex with a frown. "This is the real troublemaker for us, its pure wild goose chase! Look I'll prove it. I'll show you what is in there!"

"Don't be stupid" he scoffed. "This is science, what good is your sorcery? Unless you plan to turn stone into gold, or maybe a frog?"

"Such ignorance…" she scowled before lashing out at him. "Transmutation is what you're trying to do!"

Lex laughed in response. "Transmutation is…" he trailed off before considering the possibility. "What are you waiting for? Do it!" He ordered her.

"Okay!" she snapped back.

"Okay!" Luthor retorted childishly.

She gave him another sneer before floating cross-legged in the air, suspending the Brainiac fragment between her palms with pure magical energy. Lex watched with disinterest as she slowly rotated in place, focusing on the fragment intently. "By the slaughter of the innocent… by pestilence and plague… reveal the hidden unto me"

After she recited this incantation, her eyes glowed before firing a beam of energy into the fragment. She focused intently, attempting to uncover any and all secrets locked within, as Lex watched carefully. After a few moments, the energy stopped and she turned to Luthor.

"There, you see? Just a rock. A worthless piece of- oh…" she muttered, suddenly interested by something.

"What?" Lex asked.

"It's not important…"

"Show me!" Luthor suddenly demanded. Tala studied him, as if she were trying to determine if he were worthy of her knowledge. Then she fired the same beams again, only this time into Lex's forehead. He gasped in surprise before suddenly looking around the room as his scenery changed with the information she showed him.

Instead of being in the Secret Society headquarters, he found himself inside the large asteroid-based space station that Brainiac had once used as his established base. However, the entire station was slowly crumbling as the automated voice of Brainiac spoke from all around. " _Critical system failure in three seconds… two seconds… one second…_ "

Once the timer counted down, the entire station exploded as Lex and Tala soon found themselves in the emptiness of space that the station once occupied. The new information, coupled with the failure of the Brainiac tech was starting to prevent Tala from holding the image for much longer. She groaned in exertion from trying to keep the image present as it started to fade away.

"No! Keep the image!" Lex orders before using the last few seconds of energy Tala had to study the stars. He made careful note of their position and layout before she finally lost all strength to hold onto the image before she fell to the floor.

Once the picture faded, Lex suddenly grinned before rushing to the only undamaged console with renewed vigour. "There's still Brainiac in the universe!" he said determinedly before typing away.

"There's no way to tell where it happened" Tala said weakly, holding her head in pain.

"Wrong" Luthor interjected. "I saw enough of those stars to determine the explosion's coordinates. It should be a simple matter…"

Tala slowly stood up before frowning at Lex's response. "You saw the wild goose again" she sighed before moving to his side and placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to garner his attention. "Concentrate on us. Space is too far, together… we can rule this world" she urged.

Lex paused for a moment, growing silent as he slowly turned to face Tala, his hand moving over hers. She looked at him hopefully, believing her patience to have finally paid off, before Lex suddenly grasped her wrist and threw her away roughly. She fell back on the ground before looking up at him as he regarded her with cold disdain.

"If you like this world so much keep your fool mouth shut, and I might let you keep it" he declared before returning to the keyboard. He smiled darkly as he uploaded the coordinates to the system and drew up new plans that he intended to begin work on right away. "Me? I'm going to be a god again"

* * *

Once Lex had seen the star map, he immediately set to work on his plan to retrieve the remaining fragments of Brainiac. His plan would take quite a bit of work, with his intent to have it completed as soon as possible, he immediately called the Society together before setting them to work. Although he didn't reveal exactly what his end goal was to them.

As such, the entirety of the Society was now moving around large pieces of electronics and shielding, laying ground cables, and helping to layer more metal to the walls of the base. Lex walked through the base, carefully watching the Society as they worked.

He passed by Cheetah as she laid down a length of heavy cable, nodding as she made sure to keep it as clean and straight as possible. Bloodsport moved from work station to work station, his cart full of tools and other assorted fixtures for their various tasks. Atomic Skull delivered another large stack of support beams to where Parasite and Hellgrammite were working before Luthor came past where Heatwave and Volcana were using their flames to maintain the heat in a large oven they were using to melt some spare scrap metal.

"Speed it up!" Luthor ordered, the two nodding as he continued on his way, finding Sinestro using his ring to carefully weld the floor together with new panels. Lex looked down on him from the upper floor he was walking before stopping to look over the railing.

"Sinestro, don't forget the floor. I want radiation shielding from every direction" he called, earning a nod from the Lantern as Rampage walked past. "Rampage!" Luthor called, grabbing her attention before all three turned at the sound a large and heavy impact across the room.

They turned to find Bizarro struggling as he attempted to put a large square peg into a round hole. Luthor, to his credit, only sighed before shaking his head. "Help Bizarro…"

Further down in the base, Weather Wizard and Killer Frost were working together to make sure the seals on the new panels were as tight as possible. Weather Wizard used his wand to carefully melt the panels while Killer Frost used her ice to rapidly cool the metal, effectively fusing it together.

Luthor stopped behind them, observing for a moment, before scowling at Weather Wizard's methods. "Don't distort the metal moron!" he chastised while Weather Wizard simply rolled his eyes.

"I don't even know why we're doing this" he muttered. It was true, Lex had refused to reveal any details, beyond what he had ordered them to do. However, Lex wasn't one for the attitude, so he shoved Weather Wizard's head into the metal bulkhead roughly, holding his face quite precariously under the still molten metal.

Lex continued to scowl, before letting him go and turning to Frost. "Killer Frost, if Weather Wizard here doesn't shape up I'm holding you accountable!"

"Tch, whatever" the cryokinetic said, folding her arms in a bored fashion.

"Structural integrity is crucial!" he countered, his voice having taken on a very dangerous tone. Frost raised her hands defensively, trying to placate Luthor.

"Okay, got it!" she said quickly before Luthor stormed off down the hall again. She watched him leave with a sneer. "Jeez…" she muttered before going back to cooling the metal.

Just what was the bald megalomaniac planning?

* * *

Much to Luthor's satisfaction, the work didn't take nearly as long as he thought it would. In fact, the entire base was exactly to his specifications in less than seven hours. He had just finished his final touches on the electronics up above before he entered into the meeting room.

The entire Society had once again gathered together to hear what Luthor had to say. This time they were all impatiently waiting to hear exactly why they had been forced to work on everything. Melting down the scrap metal for molds? Welding panels to the floors and walls? Radiation shielding? Nothing Luthor was planning made any sense at all.

None of them had even bothered refusing his requests either. After the incident the week previous with the brain-swapping, Luthor didn't take kindly to any more internal rebellion. No one even knew exactly what had happened to Doctor Polaris. Only that Luthor had clearly beaten him within an inch of his life and then left him… somewhere.

As Lex entered the room, the villains all slowly turned to regard them, their own chatter dying down as he raised his right hand to call their attention. After a moment of silence, he proceeded. "Soon people, the Secret Society will be no more" he began, drawing their curiosity. "Instead you'll become the new ruling class of the universe. You are the lucky few, witnesses to the moment I seize my godhead"

Tala stood off to the side, barely even listening to him. As he once again mentioned seizing godhead, she couldn't help but scoff. In truth, she had been avoiding Luthor all day, trying to distance herself as much as possible. The rest of the Society found it odd, where she previously couldn't keep away for even a second. Luthor himself found it a most wonderful reprieve.

Not everyone was convinced though, and Toyman was the first to speak up. "Luthor, what kind of game is this? Because so far, it's no fun"

Luthor simply chuckled in response. "Bear with me Toyman, you'll get the hang of it" he said before turning back to the others. "You're going to help me collect some newly discovered pieces of Brainiac"

The assembled villains all murmured among themselves at that revelation. None seemed too thrilled about discovering what their true mission was. In fact, some seemed rather peeved that all of their buildup and their lack of results was for something so… so… trivial. None of them were surprised that this was the fanatical result Luthor came to. None of them were too enthused either.

Goldface just happened to be the villain who decided to voice his complaint right to Luthor. He stood up, levelling as cold a glare as he could muster, before he slowly stalked toward the billionaire with dangerous intent. "Swell… so you merge with the living computer like you did before. You become more powerful than all of us put together, but what do _we_ get?"

"You'll all be my lieutenants in the new order" he answered simply. He took stock of his surroundings and noticed several other villains having risen as well, slowly making their way towards them. He took note of who they were before shrugging. "Of course if you don't like those terms, you'd better stop me now while you still have a chance" he noted before casually placing a finger over his belt. "But you'd also have to remember what happened to poor Goldface…"

With that he pressed a button on the belt and immediately, steam erupted from behind the eyes of Goldface's mask. The villain cried out in agony, grasping his face before he collapsed in pain on his knees, the other villains watching in shock. "I'm already more powerful than all of you put together" Lex smirked before taking his finger off of the button and kicking Goldface's weakened form aside.

After remembering the number of fail safes that Luthor had against them, the other villains all stepped back warily, while the ones who remained seated internally congratulated themselves for being spared his wrath. There was an uncomfortable silence after, and after a minute Atomic Skull finally raised his hand, albeit reluctantly, to ask a question.

"Excuse me" he started, calling Luthor's attention. "Don't take this the wrong way, but what exactly are we doing?"

Luthor took out a small remote before smirking wider. "I was getting to that" he answered before pressing the lone button that was on it.

Almost immediately, the entire room began to shake as the base of their fortress slowly rumbled. It started gently but quickly grew to be more and more powerful as the entire base quaked violently. Various members of the Society stumbled where they stood or were thrown out of their chairs. Toyman flew across the table before colliding with the wall across the room, while both Tala and Rampage were immediately tossed to the floor. Goldface weakly tried to stabilize himself but he too was sent flying by the violent shaking.

Outside the base, the supports slowly lifted off the ground as massive jets erupted out of the swamp. Slowly, but surely, the Society's headquarters flew off of the ground before exiting the Earth's atmosphere. Once it had escaped the atmosphere the shaking ended and Lex lead the various members up to one of the upstairs rooms, which he had transformed into a makeshift bridge. Outside the widow, the vastness of space was laid out in front of them.

They looked on in awe, completely stunned by this revelation as they looked around. None of them believed it had even worked, some still had trouble believing it. Lex simply chuckled at their surprise before stepping forwards.

"I reconfigured Grodd's cloaking field, into a hyper-spacial drive" he revealed, surprising the Society even further.

"You're not serious…" Frost said, eying him carefully.

"Little bit" he replied before pressing a few buttons and then pulling a lever. There was a brief pause, before the former headquarters, now turned space shuttle, rocketed into hyperspace.

* * *

Down in the basement of the newly christened spaceship, the shaking of the jets taking off had awoken Gorilla Grodd. He barely had time to process what the rumbling sensation was before the ship jumped into hyperspace sending him flying into the bars on the other side of his cage. He grunted in pain at the impact before slowly standing up.

In a moment of odd clarity, given the situation, he looked around curiously before realizing exactly what was occurring. "Why is my headquarters moving?" he asked himself. "Hey, what's going on?" he called out.

After taking in the emptiness of the room, he approached the bars, grasping them roughly. He listened for an answer before growling. "I demand to know, what's going on!" he bellowed.

He would soon be answered by someone shushing him, before they slowly approached. Tala stepped out of the shadows, a serious look on her face. "Quiet Grodd"

He regarded her with a frown. "Oh it's you. Come to gloat at me again?" he asked before his frown turned into a deep scowl. "I'm not some monkey in a zoo throwing-"

"Shh, listen!" she interrupted, quieting him again before she sighed regrettably. "I've been very bad. I backed the wrong party… it should have been you"

Grodd blinked once in surprise. "Oh. So you finally sussed it out? That hairless sweetheart of yours isn't a leader, he's a thug"

"And how" she commented dryly before reaching through the cage and stroking his chest. "I don't like to compete for Lex with a dead computer. I want you to be in charge, like before" she said before her voice took on a more sultry tone. "So baby… what do you want?"

The gorilla's face immediately softened as he gently took Tala's hand in his own. "Why, only you my dear" he said with a soft smile before thinking about it. "And Luthor's fat head on a platter" he decided as Tala took on a dangerous smirk.

* * *

Back on the bridge, several villains had since taken on responsibilities in ensuring their flight remained smooth. Cheetah was monitoring their surroundings while carefully watching for obstacles, while Toyman was gleefully steering the ship. Luthor watched the numerous stars and galaxies pass by them at unimaginable sped as Atomic Skull stood beside him.

"That's one mother of a laser show" Skull said, very impressed by what he was seeing as Luthor gave a short nod.

"Toyman?" he called out expectantly.

"We should be reaching the Brainiac remnants soon. By the way, thank you for making me your navigator Luthor" the small man said with barely restrained excitement. "I always love learning a new controller"

"Just keep us on course" Luthor said seriously. "The slightest error and we're dead"

As if in response to his comment, the wall behind them was suddenly blasted open by an explosion. Toyman luckily, was able to keep control, but that didn't stop Luthor and Skull from stumbling forward in surprise. Smoke billowed out from the now gaping hole before Grodd stepped through holding a large bazooka.

He wasn't alone however, as he was flanked not only by Tala, but by a large contingent of the other villains in the Society. It seemed their patience had run out, and so Grodd had formed a mutiny the instant he was let out by Tala.

"I wouldn't worry about it Neanderthal" Grodd said smugly. "The way I see it you're dead either way. I'd like to complete this with as little bloodshed as possible Lex, so put your hands up and have Toyman turn us around" he ordered, aiming the bazooka square at Luthor.

Luthor took a moment to see who exactly was backing him. Immediately, he had Sinestro, Atomic Skull, Cheetah, Captain Cold, Mirror Master, and Toyman. Most of his more loyal followers were still below deck, with Heatwave and Bizarro among them. Toyman in particular slowly got out of seat before looking to Luthor expectantly.

"Don't look at him big boy, Grodd is leader" Tala said before Grodd seemingly ran out of patience, as he opened fire on Luthor, forcing him to the floor to avoid the blast. After the first shot, Luthor and his allies immediately scattered to try and fight back, while Grodd and his mutiny were in hot pursuit.

* * *

He explosion shook the floors below as the various villains suddenly took notice of the fight just above their heads. Bizarro sat up quickly from where he was sitting, his super-hearing having picked up on the conflict. "Luthor?" the clone said in alarm before flying off, leading Heatwave, Evil Star, and Volcana to investigate.

As they entered into the next room, they found Luthor quickly descending a staircase in order to avoid the numerous shots that Grodd fired at him. Grodd was soon joined by several of his allies, who jumped down to attack Luthor's supporters. Rampage gleefully lead that charge, followed soon after by Major Disaster and Goldface.

Grodd had just made it to ground level, readying another shot at Luthor. He was interrupted as Bizarro suddenly struck him across the face before the clone attempted to strangle him. Rampage was quick to notice and so pulled him off of Grodd.

The gorilla rubbed his throat tenderly before looking up at her. "Rampage, Electrocutioner; finish that oaf!" he ordered as Rampage struck the clone several times in the stomach before Electrocutioner flooded his body with numerous volts of electricity. Bizarro cried out in pain before collapsing limply unconscious.

This victory was short lived as Giganta soon kicked Rampage aside before grasping Grodd tightly in her hands, raising the gorilla to eye level, sixty feet off the ground. Grodd grunted in pain before giving a sheepish chuckle. "Giganta… you're out of jail. How's your head?" he asked, a nervous smile on his face.

Giganta smirked coyly at him. "Pretty good, considering you tried to fry my brain" she seethed before slowly crushing him within her grasp.

"Don't get grabby thunder thighs" Tala threatened, harnessing magic energy. "Grodd is mine now" she said before blasting Giganta with her magic, knocking the giantess to the ground, releasing Grodd.

Grodd quickly stood back up before pursuing Lex through the chaos as the Society devolved into a full on brawl.

* * *

Back in the control room, Weather Wizard was marching through with the rest of Grodd's mutiny before they quickly found themselves circling Captain Cold and Mirror Master. Monocle and Crowbar, two of Grodd's loyal villains wore triumphant smirks while Weather Wizard looked to his two allies almost regrettably. "Leonard, Evan"

"Mark" Captain Cold greeted. "Are you ready for what comes next?"

Weather Wizard gave a wistful smile, shaking his head. "Lenny, I'm always ready for what comes next" he chuckled, before suddenly shooting lightning at Grodd's two flunkies, electrocuting them. They screamed out in sudden surprise and pain, falling to the floor as the Rogues, now reunited, ran out to find their final member, Heatwave.

Back in the room however, Toyman had sought refuge from the conflict behind one of the numerous consoles and was hoping to remain as hidden as possible. However, this proved to be difficult as Killer Frost soon leaned over the console, giving him a lecherous smirk.

"Hey" the cryokinetic woman greeted as Toyman gulped in fear. She grinned wide, prepping a blast of cold. "One creepsicle coming up!"

Before she could release the blast, Toyman suddenly leapt up, head-butting her, striking her hard in the nose with his ceramic mask. She fell back in surprise as Toyman bid a hasty retreat, the icy villainess glaring after him.

"Oh, you are so annoying!"

* * *

Thanks to the commotion surrounding them, Luthor was making a great deal of headway as he avoided Grodd. He passed by Volcana, who attempted to use her fire to keep Goldface at bay, while Silver Banshee used her deadly cry to attack Heatwave. Heatwave was luckily saved just moments later by the timely arrival of the other Rogues, who helped him back up before all four ganged up on Parasite, who was attempting to siphon Giganta's powers.

Luthor ascended another staircase, before starting to run across a support bridge. However his exit was cut-off as Tala used her magic to destroy the section of bridge in front of him. "Trapped like a rat" she smirked triumphantly, laughing at the situation they found themselves in.

Luthor simply stared at her impassively, turning around with his arms folded at his sides. She scowled at his indifference before preparing another attack.

"It's very weird… you were never this much fun when we were together" she commented before firing yet another burst of magical energy. Lex watched the energy rapidly approach him, but before it connected, it suddenly came into contact with a barrier, shielding Lex from the attack and instead rebounding it to strike a completely unprepared Tala with twice the force.

Luthor approached her, now smirking as he pulled a bronze medallion out from where he had stashed it inside his suit, as she looked at it weakly in surprise. "You wouldn't believe what this cost me" he chuckled before passing by her to find another exit as she blacked out.

* * *

Despite the chaos going on around him, and the very violent cryokinetic that was quickly gaining on him, Toyman descended the stairs rather calmly as he played with his yo-yo. He heard the sound of crackling ice and looked up to see Killer Frost making an ice slide to catch up with him.

He watched for a moment before spinning the yo-yo in a circle. "Around the world?" he asked before suddenly flinging it out as it destroyed the ice bridge and sent her falling to the floor.

She sat up among the icy blocks, holding her head in surprise before seeing Toyman quickly bearing down on her again, preparing another strike with his yo-yo.

"Rock the cradle?" the shorter man asked again, Frost weakly attempting to build an ice shield to defend herself. However it proved futile as he easily broke through it with another strike from his dangerous toy.

"Heh, sleeper" he chuckled, looking at her unconscious body before walking off.

* * *

Luthor had now joined the fray out of necessity, using shots from his pistol to take down both Neutron and Fastball, before he noticed Atomic Skull caught in a deadlock with Goldface. He grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and prepared to strike in Skull's defense before Sinestro called out to him.

"Luthor, look out!" he yelled, as Luthor ducked in time to avoid yet another shot from Grodd. He stood up quickly before running down an open hallway, easily baiting the gorilla into following him. Grodd followed down the hall where he found himself in the cargo bay. Luthor was looking at him expectantly, pulling on some metal gauntlets that crackled with electricity, ready for the brawl.

"Give it up Lex" Grodd sighed. "It's time to stop delaying the inevitable"

"You're right" the billionaire nodded. "I really should hurry up and kill you, I have a busy schedule after all"

Grodd's reply was another blast from his energy bazooka, however Luthor held the gauntlets in front of his face, where the easily absorbed the energy from the blasts. Grodd smiled in a superior fashion before tossing his weapon aside. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather snap your neck with my bare hands" he said, cracking his knuckles eagerly.

Luthor lunged at him, intending to strike, but missing twice. Grodd responded with a vicious backhand, then followed up with a flurry of strikes that sent Luthor flying backwards.

"This mutiny was easy" the gorilla gloated. "The Secret Society hates you"

"Like they _love_ you" Luthor sneered, attempting to stand before Grodd kicked him into a wall. Luthor grunted from the impact, clutching his side. "Idiot simian… you half-baked objectivist!"

"You're ill-equipped to lead Lex" Grodd chastised, as he grasped Luthor's collar and raised him up to eye level.

"A lower primate…" Luthor laughed. "Masquerading as an intellectual!"

Grodd growled at this, tightening his grip. "I'm the more accomplished, both physically and mentally!" he roared before using his telepathy at full force against Luthor. That was what Lex was waiting for however, as he pressed another button on his belt and rebounded the telepathy to Grodd.

Grodd cried out in pain and surprise as he felt Luthor take telepathic control of him, before he dropped the now chuckling scientist.

"Took you long enough, I was beginning to think I'd figured you wrong" Lex sighed, catching his breath. "Now, bow down to me" he ordered.

Despite Grodd's attempts to refuse, he was no match for the telepathic control Luthor had exerted over him. Slowly but surely, he was forced to kneel down in front of the man he despised most.

"Who is master here?" Lex asked, internally awaiting the response he so desired.

"You… are…" Grodd struggled to say as Lex nodded in approval.

"Get up" he ordered, as the gorilla followed his commands. "Now, take six steps forward" he said. Once again, Grodd followed his every order until he was face to face with an airlock door. Lex put a command code in the keypad as the door slid open.

"Get in" he said finally, and once the ape was inside the airlock, Luthor closed the door again, before pressing another button on his belt. Immediately, the control was severed and Grodd came to his senses. Once he had control of himself again, he leapt at the door, angrily pounding against it.

"I should have let you rot in jail!" the ape bellowed angrily.

"Goodbye Grodd" Lex said in a much more morose voice. "It could have gone the other way"

Grodd took a few breaths, calming down as his expression softened at Luthor's display of good sportsmanship. "It really could have, couldn't it?"

"No" Luthor decided, a dark smirk coming over his face. "But why speak ill of the dead?"

With that, he hit another button as the airlock released into space. Grodd clutched to the door as tightly as he could, snarling his last insults to Lex. "You backstabbing, poor excuse for a hominid, I'm not done with you!" he yelled before his grip came loose and he was sucked into space. "I'll get out of this and when I do…!"

* * *

"Can any of you give me one good reason to let you live?" Luthor asked, looking down at all of the villains who dared to partake in the mutiny against him. Despite their opponent's overwhelming numbers, Luthor's side ultimately emerged victorious, with the few survivors of Grodd's faction looking up at Luthor and his followers fearfully.

Killer Frost stepped forwards in response, her choice already made. She thought about Shark, about their relationship, about the life awaiting them on earth, about their future…

Her hand touched her stomach gently before she suddenly turned around, freezing the rest of the mutineers inside a large block of ice. Once she was done, she turned back to Luthor who nodded approvingly.

"Killer Frost, you've got a future. Dump this garbage into space" he ordered.

"With pleasure" she saluted before they were all called to attention by the commlink on the ship. Toyman's high-pitched and disturbing voice called out to them.

"We're heeeeere!" he said happily as Luthor immediately went off to where Volcana and Sinestro were holding the last survivor of Grodd's mutiny; Tala.

Tala looked at Lex weakly, trying one last attempt to win him over. "Darling, I don't know what came over me. Grodd must have used his mind control!"

There was a drawn out silence as Sinestro and Volcana shared matching looks of disbelief. "Okay… maybe not" Tala admitted. "But baby, you don't ever doubt that I love you correct? I… I know I did something bad. I'm a sick person. You don't know what it's like to be me"

"Don't be afraid _darling_ " Lex said in a sympathetic tone, cupping her chin. "You still have a big role in my plan. In fact, I can't do this without you"

Volcana then stuck her in the back of her head to knock her out.

* * *

Tala woke up, every limb of hers bound as she was attached to some strange machine. Down below her, Lex gave a small shrug as his followers had gathered around him, Toyman in particular eagerly awaiting his next command.

"I used to think that magic was unknowable, unpredictable and not to be trusted. You've taught me so much Tala; even my wealth of scientific knowledge would never have been up to this task" he said, tilting his head with a smirk before continuing. "You will be the mystic conduit that will siphon Brainiac's essences from the debris outside the ship. I'll be able to reconstitute him from that energy… but I doubt you'll survive the process"

"You… you planned this all along… Didn't you?" she asked fearfully.

"I'm a sick person too"

"Lex, please!" she cried out, struggling against the restraints. "I'm begging you!"

"Hold that thought" he said before turning to Toyman. "Do it!"

He looked back at Tala before frowning as nothing occurred. "What are you waiting for?!" he asked, looking at Toyman, who's hand was frozen over the controls. "I said do it!"

"He can't hear you Lex" a young woman's voice said, as Lex turned to see a very pale girl dressed in all black sitting on a chair behind him. She wore a silver ankh around her neck and was holding a black umbrella. "I asked my brother to pause us in time so that we might talk"

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I have had many names… the Raven Queen, the entropy, but most agree on who I am. I am Death, eldest sister of the Endless" she greeted.

"Death? So you're going to kill me before I can complete my objective?"

"No, I'm not. My elder brother forbade that, as it is not written in his book. However, I am here to warn you. Your actions are an insult to my domain, and you are to summon a being who was never meant to cross back to the realm of the living"

"I should hope so, I'm bringing Brainiac back to life. I'm going to be a god again" he boasted.

Death simply stood up as ethereal energy swirled around her. "Arrogant mortal, you do not know what a god is! You are going to bring back something far worse than you could ever hope to imagine, and your arrogance will have caused it. I can only hope that the heroes of Earth can stop you… just remember" she said, turning around. "More than one being calls this place their grave"

With that, she disappeared with a black mist before Toyman's joyful singing could be heard in the background. "Twinkle twinkle Brainiac, Tala's going to bring you back!" he announced before pulling the lever and activating the machine.

The coursing energy caused Tala to cry out and convulse in pain, as her magic was forcibly torn from her body. Inside the chamber below, the energy came together, slowly forming a body. Luthor watched with a manic grin. "Yes… yes..!" he said excitedly. "Brainiac, I'm coming!"

Through Tala's anguish she found another being's essence, hidden amongst Brainiac's. She may not have be able to save herself, but she would give Luthor one last act of spite. She summoned her own energy to blend the two essences before screaming out in agony.

Finally, the effort reduced Tala's body to dust, while in the chamber, the effort was a complete success as a silhouette could be seen through the smoke. Lex grinned wide as he saw the result.

"People… meet your new lord and master!" he said as the smoke faded and he soon realised his mistake. He remembered that it wasn't just Brainiac who died here. He and all of the other villains soon wore matching expressions of horror as they gazed up at a large grey-skinned face, its eyes glowing a faint red as it stared down at them.

Darkseid had died here as well, and Luthor's efforts had now not only brought the lord of Apokolips back to life… but it fused him with Brainiac's technology. Darkseid looked at the now fearful villains before raising his hands and destroying the glass wall of the chamber with ease.

"It seems I have you to thank for my resurrection" he surmised, almost bemused. His own amusement was cut short as his face became impassive once again, and his voice took on a far more menacing tone than before. "Though your world will suffer slowly, I grant you a quick death"

With that, his eyes glowed bright for a split second….

Then the entire ship exploded.

* * *

On the ravaged, fire filled battlefields of Apokolips, two rival armies stared each other down. Numerous soldiers were garbed in armour, flanked by war hounds and parademons on both sides, each armed with tanks and war machines. One side was led by Virman Vundabar, a former lieutenant of Darkseid. He was joined in his attempt for a hostile takeover by Mantis, and Kanto.

Across the desolate wastes from them were the last of Darkseid's loyalists. Granny Goodness lead their charge, and she was joined by her Female Furies; Bernadeth the leader of the Furies, Stompa, Lashina, and Mad Harriet. Guillotina and Bloody Mary were both on missions of conquest in deep space. Also joining them was Kalibak, the son of Darkseid, who was recently freed from prison on Earth by Granny Goodness in order to assist in this battle. Rounding out the loyalists was Steppenwolf, the general of Apokolips and Darkseid's own uncle. He was eight feet tall, and clad in a very intimidating suit of grey armour, with a large horned helmet, and a massive battle axe.

Bernadeth scoffed at their opponents, drawing her Fahren-knife. "That rodent Vundabar believes he can rule Apokolips in Darkseid's stead…" she mocked. "We'll be the ones to deliver his pestilent corpse to Granny Goodness!"

With that, Granny sounded the charge as both warring forces immediately raced off towards each other, each wishing to draw first blood. The hundreds of bloodthirsty warriors would soon be halted in their confrontation by a massive explosion of energy in the middle of the battlefield, when they were just metres apart. They shielded their eyes from the bright light, before looking up in shock and awe to see Darkseid.

The hushed whispers of Darkseid's name made their way through the crowds, before all warriors soon fell to their knees in worship of their now returned master. "Welcome home, almighty Darkseid" Bernadeth greeted, before Darkseid raised his hand.

"Arise my children, let this meaningless battle for control end today" he announced to the crowd before they all soon rose to their feet.

"Of course lord. We had thought ourselves bereft forever" Kanto said, his voice full of honest reverence.

"Only the slimmest of chances has allowed me to overcome my death at the hands of Superman. But let the universe howl in despair, for I have returned" Darkseid declared, clenching his fist tightly as his army, now united once again, roared in approval.

"What is your will, my lord?" Bernadeth asked, bowing again.

"As ever, to search for the Anti-Life Equation, that I may bring order to this aimless universe. But first, Superman must suffer for killing me" Darkseid answered. "His adopted world will die screaming. Only then will I seek the ultimate end"

At that, his forces nodded, all ready for his next orders. "Steppenwolf, rally the troops and prepare the tanks. I want a full invasion prepped and ready within the hour"

"Shall I lead the charge, sire?" the large man asked.

"You will lead one of the invasion fronts. However, I will helm this task myself" he revealed before turning to Bernadeth. "Bernadeth, you shall prepare the Furies for full battle. Take any prisoners you wish, and feel free to add more hopefuls to your ranks"

"Of course, Lord Darkseid" she nodded, a malicious smirk on her face.

"Forgive me lord, but an attack on Earth would violate your pact with Highfather" Kanto noted nervously. "New Genesis would doubtless retaliate"

Darkseid looked to Kanto, almost bemused by what he had said. It was true, New Genesis, his planet's own polar opposite, would be sure to retaliate for the attack on Earth. But Darkseid had little to fear from them.

"Where do you think I'm going next?"

* * *

"I'm telling you guys, If Luthor really hated being bald as much as he says he does, why didn't he make a cure for baldness when he had Brainiac?" Flint asked, leaning against one of the tables in the Metro Tower. "He had the resources to do it, it would only take him a few minutes, tops"

"Gotta admit, you make a good point" Superman chuckled. "I'm surprised he didn't steal any more cakes"

"That's true too. I mean, he stole forty on his own. With Brainiac, he could have stolen forty-thousand!" Flint smirked.

"Forty-thousand? But that's as many as four ten-thousands!" Wonder Woman said in mock horror.

"And that's terrible" Superman chimed in again, before all three broke into hearty chuckles. Their laughing was soon cut short as one of the many workers in the tower rushed through the door before hurrying to Superman.

"Superman, you better come outside! Quick!" the man said in a panic. At his the direness in his tone, Superman immediately rushed outside, followed closely by Flint and Wonder Woman, as well as the other heroes on duty in the tower.

When they arrived outside, they were greeted by an alarming sight; the remains of the Secret Society were standing there, waiting for them. Bizarro, Giganta, Toyman, Cheetah, Star Sapphire, Sinestro, Heatwave, Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Weather Wizard, Killer Frost, Evil Star, Atomic Skull, and Volcana stood before them, being led by Lex Luthor.

Lex stood with his arms folded behind his back, staring down Superman and the League, who were all tensed and ready for combat.

Luthor looked at him impassively before speaking. "We have a little problem"

* * *

 **And there you have it folks, the first part of the finale has ended, and the next part begins with a full scale invasion. Fitting seeing as that's how we started (Guess I do open at the close).**

 **You may have noticed some changes here too. Namely Weather Wizard's survival and the inclusion of the Furies and Steppenwolf to the invasion force for next chapter. The first is because I really don't want to kill the Rogues. They're too great as far as characters go, and Weather Wizard always got the short end of the stick here. As for the expanded invasion force, that's just to raise the stakes and to make the finale more epic. See next time to see just how epic.**

 **Yet another reference to the forty cakes has occurred, and I have also shed light on a question posed to me a few months ago about Luthor's baldness. I hadn't thought about it until it was brought up, but now I can't stop wondering why he didn't even try.**

 **But with that said and done, it's time to move on and prepare for the next outing. Flint will join the League in fighting a full-scale invasion. An invasion led, by a destroyer!**

 **As always, be sure to read and review. And remember to leave your questions for next time.**

 **Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	38. Destroyer

**Well folks, here it is. The last ever episode of "Sandman Unlimited".**

 **It's been one hell of a journey, I can't believe I almost considered cancelling this story. It was so much fun to write, and I absolutely enjoyed every single moment of it. Every character, every episode, every line of dialogue, it was a great learning experience and a fun one.**

 **Now, before we begin this chapter, I believe I promised you all a Q &A! So here we go, and I want to thank you all for all the questions you guys sent. It really made my day to read them, I loved every single one:**

 **demonic hellfire: Can Captain Marvel (Marvel version) absorb the Omega-Beam?**

 **That's actually a really good question. I mean, the Omega-Beams are incredibly powerful, able to completely cripple Kryptonians. I imagine she might absorb some of it, but not the whole thing. It would probably also damage her a fair bit too.**

 **Faith Doe: Question 1 - What was your favourite chapter/arc to write and why?**

 **That's a hard one for sure, since I loved so many, so I figure I'll name my favourite chapter and then my favourite arc. For the chapter, I'm thinking either "The Great Brain Robbery" or "Alive!". The former had some of my favourite dialogue ever to write, and the latter was just full of great Luthor moments. Although I must say that "The Return", "Doomsday Sanction", and "An Injustice Far From Home" were some other standout favourites for me. My favourite arc was easily "Homecoming", every chapter I got to explore more of the characters and I threw in so many cameos. It also had a really adorable proposal. So that was nice. The total Cadmus Arc ("Fearful Symmetry", "Ultimatum", "Dark Heart", "Doomsday Sanction", "Clash", "The Catalyst", "Panic in the Sky", and "Divided We Fall") was a close second though, since it was, in my opinion, the beginning of a sharp increase in quality. It also had some great moments.**

 **Question 2 - What made you choose 38 chapters? Is there a significance to the number or was that just how many you felt was right?**

 **There was no real significance to the number, that's just how it turned out. A lot of these I almost didn't write. "The Great Brain Robbery", "An Injustice Far From Home", "The Sandman vs Dracula", and "The Dark Before the Light" were all last minute additions to my original drafted list, and while originally I was going to write "Patriot Act" I ultimately decided against it.**

 **Question 3 - Can Flint and Zatanna have a biological child together in the sequel? Please?**

 **Well, I did state before that the radiation that gave Flint his powers made him sterile. But then again... there is always magic...**

 **Lovingh3art: If you ever have room in the sequel, would you consider doing ant man and the atom?**

 **Like having them meet? Maybe, I hadn't really planned on it happening, but it might.**

 **JAKEkenstein: Any chance for a Spider-Man & Galatea sequel?**

 **A sequel? Probably not, but I am considering doing a collection of one-shot chapters. They'll just be collections of what occurred with characters during and after the events of "Sandman Unlimited". I'll probably include Spider-Man and Galatea in a few of those, as well as some for J'onn, the Ultimen, and The Riddler. There will also be an entire chapter dedicated to assembling the Justice League Dark as well, so that will be fun.**

 **Aria42: What prompts you to change the endings of characters who you don't like the endings for? Supergirl for example, changing her ending didn't change the outcome of the fic at all so I was wondering what your motivation is.**

 **Simply put, they're unsatisfying. Of the characters whose endings I changed they were as follows: Supergirl, because her arc ending without a proper conclusion and stranding her in the future was dumb. Deadman, because oh my god did they ever make him suffer for a simple mistake he made to save a life. Shazam, another unsatisfying exit. It just felt really spiteful in the show, and it really damaged both him and Superman's character. Longshadow and the Ultimen, because they had a really sad ending and I couldn't just let them die in such a painful manner. The Shade, because I love him and don't want him to die.**

 **Chandra Saint: Do you have any ideas for other fanfics and if so, what are they?**

 **Well there is the sequel to this fic, "Alchemic Justice", which will focus on Keemia. I am also finally going to write the Walking Dead fanfic I've been sitting on for the longest time. The Sandman Unlimited one-shots will also become a story, and I do have a standalone Batman fic centred on Black Mask that will come out. I'm also considering a crossover between Harry Potter and Justice League Dark.**

 **Princess TS: If you couldn't use Sandman, which Marvel character would you have used in your fic and why?**

 **Easy, the Juggernaut. His redemption arc in the comics was great, and his return to villainy was perfectly tragic. Then when he became a hero again for selfish reasons in order to both do good and appease Cyttorak, that was great. I would have loved to explore Cain Marko, but ultimately, I wanted to do Flint more.**

 **Moniker Man: Which characters would you have liked to focus on more in the fic and why?**

 **That's a really hard one, since I thought everyone had the perfect time. But honestly, I wanted to see Black Canary and Huntress more. I just didn't have an opportunity to really have them appear with Flint, which influenced their appearances greatly.**

 **Killer Frost225: Have you seen Black Panther yet? If so, what did you think?**

 **I have seen it. It is, in a word, PHENOMENAL! Absolutely phenomenal, and I recommend that everyone goes out and watches it. WAKANDA FOREVER!**

 **Lady Pond: Since this is the last episode of Justice League Unlimited, what series will the sequel be based off of if any?**

 **The sequel shall be based off of Young Justice, so that will be fun. I already have workarounds for certain characters who can't be used, and I have some new members of the team selected for arrival as the fic progresses! I am also re-watching the show in preparation. Expect the sequel to be released soonish. Not right away, as I do need a break. But soon.**

 **Iron Man 666: I was wondering if Condiment King was coming back for the sequel and if so would he actually do anything this time?**

 **Well first of all Iron Man, HOW THE HELL DID YOU ESCAPE MY DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS CAMPAIGN?! As for Condiment King, he will return in the sequel. But he will not actually do anything. He is the butt of the joke. He is meant to be laughed at. He is functionally useless, but hilarious as he attempts to try and succeed. Now get back to D &D!**

 **Thank you everyone for a fantastic Q &A! These were some great questions, and as I said earlier I enjoyed reading them all. It was also a lot of fun to answer them as well. Hopefully this means I can do more for my other fics in the future.**

 **Before I progress any further towards the chapter itself, I do have some thank you's I would like to give.**

 **First, a big thank you to my new editor. You have made writing these last few chapters so much easier, and I can't thank you enough for all your help. hopefully you can stand me long enough to help with any future stories I have.**

 **Next, a big thank you to Fox Boss, Lucian Naruto, and Dion ComicWiz. You guys gave me some great ideas for characters, events, and even chapters. You helped with so many great ideas and I couldn't have come up with some of these without you.**

 **I would also like to thank The Incredible Muffin who inspired me to write this story. While he might not be continuing the original saga of Ben 10 Unlimited, he was still a massive influence to me while making this. In the same vein, I would also like to thank my other big inspiration for this story, AffectEffect12. Their story, "Beacon of Justice" was another big inspiration for quite a few of my chapters, so I can't thank them enough.**

 **And finally, another big thank you to Lucian Naruto and Dion ComicWiz just for being such loyal followers and friends. You guys have been around since the beginning, and you encouragement helped me all along the way. Your friendship was invaluable to me as well, so I just want to thank you again for everything.**

 **Now, with that out of there way, here is the very last disclaimer:**

 **The following is a non-profit fan-based tribute. Sandman, Salamandra, the Avengers, and all related characters are owned by Marvel and therefore Disney (ALL PRAISE THE IMMORTAL MOUSE!). The Justice League, Secret Society, and all related characters are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Darkseid, the New Gods, and the 4-th World characters are owned by Jack Kirby, DC Comics, and Warner Bros. Please support their official releases!**

 **And now, on to the finale!**

* * *

 ** _Previously, on Sandman Unlimited:_**

 _"I'm telling you guys, If Luthor really hated being bald as much as he says he does, why didn't he make a cure for baldness when he had Brainiac?" Flint asked, leaning against one of the tables in the Metro Tower. "He had the resources to do it, it would only take him a few minutes, tops"_

 _"Gotta admit, you make a good point" Superman chuckled. "I'm surprised he didn't steal any more cakes"_

 _"That's true too. I mean, he stole forty on his own. With Brainiac, he could have stolen forty-thousand!" Flint smirked._

 _"Forty-thousand? But that's as many as four ten-thousands!" Wonder Woman said in mock horror._

 _"And that's terrible" Superman chimed in again, before all three broke into hearty chuckles. Their laughing was soon cut short as one of the many workers in the tower rushed through the door before hurrying to Superman._

 _"Superman, you better come outside! Quick!" the man said in a panic. At his the direness in his tone, Superman immediately rushed outside, followed closely by Flint and Wonder Woman, as well as the other heroes on duty in the tower._

 _When they arrived outside, they were greeted by an alarming sight; the remains of the Secret Society were standing there, waiting for them. Bizarro, Giganta, Toyman, Cheetah, Star Sapphire, Sinestro, Heatwave, Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Weather Wizard, Killer Frost, Evil Star, Atomic Skull, and Volcana stood before them, being led by Lex Luthor._

 _Lex stood with his arms folded behind his back, staring down Superman and the League, who were all tensed and ready for combat._

 _Luthor looked at him impassively before speaking. "We have a little problem"_

* * *

As was to be expected, the sudden arrival of Luthor and the surviving fragments of the Secret Society put all the present members of the Justice League on high alert. The fact that they didn't attack right away was even more alarming. But it was what they had to tell the League that troubled them the most.

When Lex first relayed his story, Flint was skeptical, but there was a piece somewhere in the back of his mind that scared him to no end. Flint had heard the tales and read the case files from past encounters with Darkseid. He was an immensely powerful and dangerous foe for anyone to take on, and he had nearly succeeded in killing Superman on numerous occasions. To hear that he was alive once more, and on the track for revenge, was quite the intimidating prospect.

However, this message was relayed to them by Lex Luthor of all people, so naturally their skepticism took the lead over their own fear. Superman was the prime example of this, as after allowing the Society into the Metro Tower, he was the first to address Luthor. "Let's say, just for the sake of argument, that I believe a single word of your story. How did you survive the explosion?"

"By the skin of my teeth" Luthor said simply, the events from just minutes prior coming back to him easily before he relayed them to Superman and the League. He told them about the suddenness of the explosion, how off-guard everyone was. But he also mentioned how quick both Sinestro and Star Sapphire were to respond, managing to protect most of the villains inside a bubble they had generated. Those on the lower decks weren't nearly as lucky.

"But, stranded more than a power ring's charge from home, we found ourselves dependant on the kindness of strangers" he continued. "A resident of the nearby planet New Genesis, drawn by our ship's explosion, offered his help. We accepted of course"

Naturally, Lex left out the fact that they killed this Good Samaritan in order to obtain his Boom Tube technology, which allowed for them to arrive back on Earth safely.

Superman simply levelled a glare to Luthor, his contempt and anger for the man very clearly shown. "You've got some nerve, coming to us for help"

"Darkseid took Brainiac away from me. I can't hear his voice in my head anymore" Luthor reasoned with a scowl. There was a prolonged pause as Flint simply looked to Luthor in surprise.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked incredulously as Atomic Skull and Sinestro seemed to mirror his confusion.

"Enough of the crazy talk Lex" Giganta interrupted, stepping between the two before looking at Superman. "Darkseid said he was coming to Earth to destroy it. You guys are supposed to keep that sort of thing from happening"

"We'll do just that lady. Thanks for the heads up" Green Lantern said, folding his arms.

"Yeah, thanks for that" Flint frowned. "Certainly makes our job easier"

"And what about us?" Atomic Skull asked.

"You're all going into holding cells" Wonder Woman answered, as the villains suddenly took up defensive postures.

"You think so?" Skull scoffed, his fists glowing bright with atomic energy. "Ain't no way we're givin' up without a-"

"Watchtower to Metro Tower, we got a situation" Mr. Terrific suddenly called over the communication screen, cutting the villain off.

"What's going on up there?" Superman asked

"Multiple hyper-spatial incursions, but they're planet side" Mr. Terrific said, before bringing up a screen that displayed several glowing red dots appearing all over the globe. "I'm sending telemetry"

Batman took a look at the reading for only few seconds before recognizing the energy signature they displayed. "Boom Tubes" the detective said, his eyes narrowing at the implication. Luthor was right.

"He's right" Superman nodded, tilting his head to listen. "Can you hear it? Like thunder"

True to what he was saying, the numerous display screens suddenly showed footage from all over the world. They showed large Boom Tubes opening and releasing numerous tanks and soldiers. Flint recognized them from when he had fought Mantis alongside Clark and Captain Atom a few years back. The sight of seeing these portals now unleashing hundreds of soldiers all over the world was more than a little intimidating.

"Oh that ain't good" he muttered as Flash grimaced.

"Understatement of the millennium" the speedster quipped.

* * *

Up on the Watchtower, Mr. Terrific wasted no time in open all of the communication lines and delivering an urgent alert. "Attention all Justice League personnel, this is an Omega level threat!" he announced, just as Shayera landed behind him on the monitor platform alongside Vixen, Green Arrow, Doctor Light, and Blue Devil.

"Get to the Javelins!" Blue Devil said urgently before Shayera shook her head.

"No time" she disagreed, before going on the intercom herself. "All members, prepare for emergency teleport!" she said before taking to the air again, heading for the teleporters. "Send us first, give the others a chance to put their pants on!"

"You got it" Mr. Terrific called after her.

She landed on the teleporter, being joined by the others from the observation deck before Mr. Terrific teleported them down to Earth to begin their defense. Numerous other heroes arrived on the teleporters after they had left, with Mirage, Booster Gold, Crimson Fox, Crimson Avenger, and Aztek making up another party.

Once they were gone, Mr. Terrific immediately began cycling through the League roster, tracking down everyone he could to help fight this invasion.

* * *

Back in the Metro Tower, Superman grasped Bizarro's shoulder before starting to walk him away. "Alright, let's get these people locked up. Sounds like we got a fight on our hands"

Giganta scoffed before standing in from of him with a less than impressed expression. "If you think you're locking us up while the whole world's under attack, you got two fights on your hands!" the size-changer threatened as she and the rest of the villains got into a fighting stance. Sandman and several of the other Leaguers looked ready to retaliate against them before Batman shook his head.

"She's got a point. We'll need all the bodies we can throw at this"

"Oh come on!" Superman said in surprise. "It's Lex flippin' Luthor, why should we trust him?"

"Hey, it's our world too!" Atomic Skull spoke up, before Luthor held him back with his hand.

"Let's be clear about this" Lex began, approaching Superman with a stoic yet cold expression. "We're not here to help you save the world, you're here to help me get revenge on Darkseid. When this is over, it's back to business as usual"

Superman stared at him, almost defiantly, before meeting his gaze with a nod. "Wouldn't have it any other way"

Wonder Woman watched their exchange before turning back to the monitor with Mr. Terrific. "You get all that?"

"Yeah, you guys sure about this?" he asked cautiously.

"Trust but verify" She reasoned as Leaguer and villain alike headed for the teleporter. "Put the bad guys on teams with regular Leaguers"

"Search through the telemetry on the attack groups, find the best protected mother ship. That's where Darkseid will be" Batman said, before running to a teleporter where he was joined by Flint, Luthor, and Superman.

"That's where I wanna go" Superman added.

"I imagine so, it's in Metropolis hovering over the Daily Planet. Standby" Mr. Terrific said as Flint folded his arms.

"Make sure Z gets some help down in Miami, she'll be their only hero down there at the moment."

"No need to worry" Terrific assured him. "I already sent the Rogues down to assist her, I know how much you like them in your city" he added with a smirk.

"That's goo- wait you sent who?!" Flint said, taken by surprise before the teleport started. "Fu-"

* * *

 **Washington DC**

Hawkgirl, Citizen Steel, and Atomic Skull were all teleported on the lawn of the White House, where several of Darkseid's parademons had begun an assault against the secret service. They now stood as one of the few lines of defense between Apokolips and the president.

Hawkgirl took to the sky, using her mace to savagely strike against several parademons, while Citizen Steel turned into organic metal, engaging in hand-to-hand combat against the swarm. Atomic Skull used a more crude strategy; he released wave after wave of deadly atomic energy, literally vaporising any parademons that got too close.

* * *

 **Paris, France**

Flash, Green Lantern, Shocker, and Giganta all arrived near the Eiffel tower, where dozens of panicked citizens ran away in fear of the swarms. Flash took off first, using his speed to move the citizens to safety before he disarmed and quickly punched out the parademons assaulting the ground.

Giganta grew to a colossal hundred feet tall, before using her hands to throw warships out of the sky and bat parademons off the iron bars of the tower. One of the tanks on the ground aimed its cannon at her, but Shocker was quick to notice.

"Heads up darlin'!" he called out, before using a level-4 blast from his vibrosmashers to quickly destroy the tank. He then used another equally powerful wave to blast several more parademons away.

"Thanks for the save, Tex" she commented before swatting more out of the sky.

Lantern provided air support, using his ring to blast numerous parademons and warships, where they all fell to the ground in smoking pieces.

* * *

 **The Great Wall of China**

Star Sapphire used her gem to blast several Parademons, while Wonder Woman and Shining Knight cut down any that got too close to the panicked tourists. Vigilante provided them with some cover fire, while Atom Smasher simply plowed through any of the tanks on the ground, as well as knocking larger drones equipped with cannons out of the sky.

* * *

 **Rome, Italy**

Doctor Light flew around with Bizarro, knocking and blasting parademons to the ground. Bizarro in particular was rather effective at this as he crushed several of them into one large ball before lobbing them at another gathering swarm. The end result was almost two dozen parademons, sprawled out and twitching feebly in the cobblestone streets.

Green Arrow and Black Canary lead the ground assault, using their arrows and canary cry respectively to make short work of the invading army.

* * *

 **Tokyo, Japan**

Large gunships barrelled down the crowded Tokyo streets, firing into buildings and after the fleeing civilians. However, Steel and Blue Devil were quick to meet them head on.

Steel swung his hammer, knocking a gunship to the ground, while Blue Devil used his magic to conjure a swirling mass of energy that tore another to pieces. Sinestro used his ring to conjure a massive yellow dragon, which tore the tanks to shreds, and threw them all around the streets. The fear generated by the invasion helped to give him more power than usual, before he made his own large gun to fire multiple powerful beams of energy, disintegrating an entire wave of parademons.

* * *

 **Midway City**

Hawk and Dove had taken to the streets, brawling with the parademons head on. Creeper leapt between them, stealing spears and axes from the invaders and using them with savage glee. Meanwhile, Question drove his car through the streets, running over parademons, while Huntress stood on the roof, firing her crossbow at the invaders. She had recently been welcomed back to the League after helping to shut down and underground fighting circuit, and she was more than willing to prove her worth.

Captain Atom, meanwhile, fired massive bursts of Gamma energy to annihilate a gunship before providing more cover fire for those on the ground.

* * *

 **Morocco**

Toyman found himself surrounded by a pack of the parademons, with nothing but a toy gun in his hand. However he still fired the foam bullets into them. They appeared confused at first, however they were soon surprised to find that these bullets caused them to explode.

* * *

 **London, England**

Hawkman, the newest recruit to the Justice League, flew through the streets with his battle axe, cutting swathes through the invasion force. Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. provided him with backup as they doubled their own energy blasts to fight the invasion.

Across the city, Doctor Fate had decided now was the perfect time for his team to make their debut. Constantine and Etrigan used hellfire to blast away entire hordes, while the Shade conjured shadow creatures to fight them.

"Rather dull for an invasion, don't you think John?" Shade commented dryly.

"It's an invasion, 'ow exciting did you want it to be you bloody sod!" he scoffed before using another spell to blast away another parademon that got too close to Looker. The vampiress had recently been gifted a special amulet that allowed her to fight in the daylight. She used it to assist in the efforts, her telekinesis throwing the invading gunships around like cheap toys.

* * *

 **Venice, Italy**

Killer Frost used an ice slide to gain momentum in the air before she blasted an entire fleet of gunships with ice. She was holding her own rather easily, and she didn't quite need the help. Still, she would have preferred if Shark as there to fight alongside her.

It just wasn't the same without him.

* * *

 **Coast City**

Shazam called down wicked thunderbolts to knock gunships from the sky, while Supergirl's strength proved incredibly useful in tossing away the parademons. Longshadow grew to titanic heights, allowing him to crush numerous parademons with each step.

"It's like when you're a kid playing with an ant hill" he laughed before Supergirl paused to look at him, a pair of parademons clutched tightly her hands.

"I thought you never were a kid" she said dryly.

"You get the point" he groaned before another Boom Tube opened, revealing an unwelcoming sight; the Female Furies.

"You dare try and fight against the glory of Darkseid?" Bernadeth scowled, drawing her Fahren-knife. "We'll make short work of you"

"You can certainly try" Supergirl smirked, cracking her knuckles.

"Ooh, a plaything. Can we enlist her to the furies when we're done here?" Lashina asked hopefully while Mad Harriet and Stompa immediately sprang into action.

"I see no reason why we can't" Bernadeth shrugged before the two joined their sisters in battle.

* * *

 **Miami, Florida**

"Watch your back there, Len!" Mirror Master warned, jumping from a nearby window pane and attacking a parademon that attempted to take Captain Cold by surprise. The Rogues had quickly set out to defending civilians as soon as they arrived, a fact that surprised Zatanna. However, the sorceress was more than happy to see them putting the safety of the people first.

"Thanks for the heads up Evan" Cold nodded, before he and Heatwave unleashed dual blasts of ice and fire at the hordes.

"Easy there boys, don't think for a minute that this won't get hard" Zatanna warned.

"Are you kidding? This is child's play" Weather Wizard laughed, shooting lightning at another gunship before a boomtube opened before them in the streets. They looked at it for a moment, cautious, before an eight foot tall behemoth of a man, clad in armour with a wicked looking battle-axe stepped out.

"I have come to claim this planet for the glory of Darkseid" Steppenwolf bellowed.

The five paused for a moment, now all incredibly fearful before Zatanna looked at Weather Wizard with a scowl. "You just had to say it, didn't you?"

* * *

 **Metropolis**

"-uck!" Flint yelled as he appeared on the roof of the Daily Planet newspaper office alongside his chosen allies. Upon arrival, they were immediately met with a large crowd of parademons, who immediately attacked them like a pack of starving dogs. Floating overhead was an absolutely gargantuan mother ship, one that dwarfed any other ship participating in the invasion.

Luthor was the first to counterattack as he drew a pistol with a sneer. "Back off" he ordered before firing directly into the crowd, dropping three within seconds.

Batman was next as he threw several explosive batarangs, blasting large holes in the crowd.

Flint immediately went to his mallets, swatting the parademons aside, before switching out to his axes. He used them to cleave through several in a single swipe before finishing with one large column of sand, which he used to crush them with ease.

Superman blasted several with his heat-vision, before switching to close combat as several dozen attempted to dog pile him. With a single shrug, he knocked them all away, where Flint helped him to crush the remainder. However, as they decimated the first wave, more and more parademons suddenly descended upon them.

"Was there a plan here?" Luthor asked in irritation, drawing his second pistol to increase his barrage as the swarm continued to grow in size and persistence.

"Take out the small fry until we attract the big fish's attention" Batman grunted, swapping to electrically charged knuckles, as he fought hand to hand against the parademons, the electricity shocking them senseless.

"Ha! With everything that's going on, I'll bet he never even notices us!" Luthor scoffed, before suddenly, the large mother ship floating above the building opened up. The hatch slowly opened before revealing Darkseid, who descended down to where the heroes were waiting.

The parademons immediately ceased their fighting, bowing down before him, while Flint simply folded his arms and looked to Luthor with a small scowl.

"Don't you ever get tired of bein' wrong all the time?" he asked, Luthor rolling his eyes in response.

Darkseid finally reached the rooftop, landing a few metres away from Superman, his gaze never once leaving the man of steel. "I hope you appreciate, Kal-El, that everything that everything that happens from this point is on _your_ head" he began, his voice low and gravelly, yet uncannily calm and cultured. "The skies will rain fire, the oceans will boil, and the streets will run red with the blood of billions. Only then, after your last pitiful hope is extinguished, will I end your life. Let's go"

Superman glared at him, his gaze unwavering, his fists slowly clenching. Before he could retort, Luthor leapt forward towards Darkseid, a crazed glint in his eyes. Darkseid simply raised his hand in response, catching Luthor in some field that suspended the villain in midair.

"You destroyed Brainiac, I'm going to make you pay!" Luthor yelled in anger.

Darkseid seemed completely unmoved and disinterested in the billionaire's actions. "Unlikely" he stated, before casually throwing Luthor off the side of the building.

Batman was quick to respond, leaping off of the roof and grabbing Luthor as he fell. He then used his grapple to safely swing them back inside the building, crashing through a window on one the lower floors.

"Well, guess it's my turn" Flint shrugged, catching Darkseid's attention as he struck him in the face with a massive mace, utilizing all the strength he had, not holding back for a moment. Darkseid barely budged, his face moving more in surprise than as a response to the force.

"A modest attempt, but a pitiful one" Darkseid said before countering with his own fist. It struck Flint in the chest before barrelling through, spraying sand all across the roof. Darkseid quirked his brow in mild interest, as Flint smirked.

"Gotcha" he chuckled before solidifying the sand around the conqueror's fist, trapping Darksied briefly as he suddenly attempted to flood his hand through Darkseid's face, trying to choke the despot. He sputtered, disoriented before utilizing a massive burst of the omega beam to blast Flint's sand out of his face and across the roof.

"I know who you are now; I've read Mantis' file about you" he muttered, standing up straight before looking at Flint in mild annoyance. "He was correct in his statement that your powers were an obstacle to be overcome. But I am nothing if not resourceful"

Flint reformed his body, slowly attempting to stand up before another blast of the omega beams scattered his sand off of the roof to a slow descent towards the streets below. Superman watched yet another ally fall from the building, internally thankful that Flint's abilities would keep him safe as he descended, before returning his focus to Darkseid.

The tyrannical ruler of Apokolips smirked, before clenching his fists almost boastfully. "I'm more powerful than I've ever been. The last time you and I fought, you were barely able to hold your own"

"Funny, that's not how I remember it" Superman countered, crouching into a ready stance.

"Then allow me to refresh your memory" he smirked, and with that, he easily lifted the massive globe that sat atop the building. In one fluid motion, he slammed it down onto Superman. Superman attempted to catch the globe and hold it in place, however, he was easily overpowered, and suddenly fell through the floor as the globe started barrelling through after him through the building before crashing into the ground floor, crushing Superman beneath it.

Flint had just reached the ground only seconds before, reforming his body in time for the globe to collide with the ground, blowing out every window in the skyscraper from the impact alone. He covered his face to protect himself before grimacing. "Well… damn"

* * *

Back in Tokyo, Steel received a brief reprieve from the fighting to watch a large, glowing tower slowly being constructed by the numerous Apokoliptans. After a moment, he contacted Mr. Terrific to relay his findings. "Blue Devil got me close enough to get a good look. Those big burling machines are magma towers"

Mr. Terrific watched from his own monitors as similar machines were constructed all around the globe wherever the boom tubes opened. "At least now we know what they're trying to do. The invaders are setting up drilling machines to tap into the heat at the Earth's core"

"They're trying to create fire pits" Steel surmised, knocking two more parademons from the sky with his hammer. "If they succeed, it'll be Apokolips on Earth"

"They won't succeed" Mr. Terrific said, his eyes narrowing in determination before opening a communication line to all channels. "Your primary targets are those drills, destroy them at all costs"

* * *

Hawkgirl nodded at the new information, before looking to her team mates. Both were aware of their new targets as she looked to them with determination. "You heard the man, rock and roll" she ordered, before grabbing Atomic Skull and taking to the air again, with him in tow.

While Commander Steel ran through the troops on the ground, Skull used his radiation to clear away the parademons that surrounded the magma tower. Once there was an open pathway, Hawkgirl set him down on the ground in front of it before she inspected the machinery.

"Looks like the main power coupling. Cover my backside" she said, as her mace crackled with energy. Skull nodded, before immediately engaging a large crowd of parademons, attempting to keep them away. However, he missed one, and as Shayera readied herself to strike at the tower, the lone parademons threw a spear at her. The weapon hit its mark, impaling her wing as she fell to the ground in pain.

Skull heard her cry for help, but the swarm was bogging him down too much for him to provide assistance. Luckily, Commander Steel was able to see the parademons that threw the spear closing in on Shayera. He quickly grabbed a nearby shield that was dropped before throwing it like a Frisbee. It decapitated the parademons before embedding itself deep in the metal of the tower.

After a moment to catch her breath, Shayera removed the spear from her wing before slowly standing. With her mace firmly grasped in her hand, she struck it into the power coupling on the side of the tower, immediately over-loading it. The energy crackled out wildly, coursing through her body before flinging her back.

Skull was quick to catch her, he noticed the entire tower suddenly start to over-load and spark as the energy ruptured and detonated all along its frame. "Get out of here, it's gonna blow!" Skull yelled, as he carried Shayera to safety, with Commander Steel close behind him.

The three managed to duck behind shelter just in time, as the tower exploded, completely incinerating any parademons unlucky enough to be caught close by. Skull grinned wide before raising his arms in victory. "Yeah!"

However, the battle was not yet over as dozens more parademons swiftly flew in to continue the attack.

* * *

In Paris, the heroes plus Giganta had managed to clear themselves a path all the way to the magma tower, which was being constructed in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. Giganta continued to swat away the flying hordes, while Shocker used his gauntlets to destroy any stray tanks that came their way.

Green Lantern looked at the tower, while Flash generated tornados to blow away the invaders. "We need to find a way to take this out for good!" Lantern yelled while Flash cupped his chin in thought.

"Why don't you just throw it into the sun?" he offered before seeing the look on John's face. "Yeah, I guess that was a pretty stupid idea"

"No, maybe you're onto something" the Lantern mused. "But I'll need more leverage, and a trench!"

"Here, use this!" Shocker said, setting one of his gauntlets to level-3 before tossing it to Flash. "Just squeeze the button inside the thumb to generate the blast!"

"On it!" Flash nodded, sliding the gauntlet on before running at a rapid speed around the tower. He then activated the gauntlet, creating a massive trench in a matter of seconds as it blew apart the earth around the tower. He ran back to the others when he was done, returning the gauntlet to Shocker. "Now what?"

John focused his energy before aiming the ring at the tower. Suddenly, the energy turned itself into a massive catapult, with the tower loaded and ready to fire.

"Oh, cool!" Flash grinned before the catapult fired, launching the tower through the sky. The four watched it carefully, with John frowning as it flew.

"Doesn't look like it quite made escape velocity" he said while Flash shrugged.

"No…" the speedster admitted, before the tower suddenly collided with a massive spaceship, destroying both in a massive explosion. "It was a good effort though"

* * *

Supergirl grunted in discomfort as she blocked attacks from both Mad Harriet and Lashina. The former's claws were proving a dangerous close-range threat, while the latter's whips were keeping her at range for more long distance barrages.

"Shadow! Run to the tower, we can handle them here!" she urged, as Shazam used his lightning to knock Stompa away, before narrowly avoiding multiple slashes from Bernadeth.

"Are you sure?" the teen frowned, picking up a tank before crumpling it into a large metal ball.

"I'm sure, just take it down!" she nodded before screeching in pain as Lashina's whip delivered a powerful electric shock.

Longshadow grimace before turning to face the tower. "Well, I always wanted to play softball" he mused before pitching the crumpled tank into the base of the tower.

The result was instantaneous as the tower slowly fell over onto itself, while at the same time rupturing from within to create a massive explosion. The Furies were shocked by this sudden development, allowing Supergirl to punch Harriet away.

"You dare to defy Lord Darkseid?!" Bernadeth scowled before aiming her Fahren-knife at Longshadow. "You shall pay for your insolence!"

The knife suddenly glowed a blistering red as Longshadow grasped his head in pain.

Bernadeth smirked at the result. "Behold the Fahren-knife, it can injure you at any distance. How does it feel? To have such a burning pain inside your very mind, it must be excruciating"

The size changer fell to his knees before Shazam suddenly struck Bernadeth in the face, breaking her focus as the knife's glow ended. "Well, this fight just got more dangerous" Longshadow groaned as the Furies rallied together for another attack, dozens of parademons behind them.

* * *

"Tcere enots sreirrab!" Zatanna cast desperately, making large walls to cover the escape of the Rogues, who ran towards the magma tower. Steppenwolf, however, was easily able to destroy the large constructs with only a single swing of his battle axe.

"Is that all? Your sorcery disappoints me" the general chuckled as Zatanna grimaced.

"Tnemevap emoceb sruasonid!" She said, before pointing her wand at the ground. Instantly, the street all around Steppenwolf grew and transformed into large Tyrannosaurs, which all attacked the Apokoliptan general. Yet again, this proved little more than a nuisance as he slammed his axe into the earth, rupturing the dinosaurs with the shockwave before he struck Zatanna with the back of his hand, knocking her into a nearby car.

"I grow tired of this feeble attempt" he scowled. "What hope do you have to stop us?" he asked, before the magma tower in the distance suddenly exploded. Steppenwolf looked at it in surprise while Z gave a weak smirk.

"Looks like we got a lot of hope, it matches your shoddy workmanship" she bit out as Steppenwolf gave a bellowing roar before raising his axe above her.

"Insolent wench! Prepare to taste the fury of Apokolips!"

As it so happened, Keemia Marko was running through the streets during all of this invasion trouble. School was cancelled in the wake of the attack, so she used some if the magic Zatanna had taught her to sneak away and join in the fighting.

Granted, she didn't know many offensive spells yet, but she could at least cast and throw large stones and fire.

'Gotta thank Uncle Kent for teaching me that' she mused to herself, remembering the lessons Fate had given her, before she rounded the corner to see Zatanna. She was laid out on the ground, with Steppenwolf prepared to bring his axe down upon her.

With little regard for her own safety, and only caring about her step-mother's wellbeing, she grabbed a rock from the ground before throwing it at Steppenwolf. "Leave her alone!"

The rock struck him in the face, and he stopped mid-swing to look at the source of the stone. "Who dares?!"

Keemia suddenly looked rather sheepish as the eight-foot tall behemoth of a general looked at her with a sneer. "Uh… I dare?"

"Keemia, run!" Zatanna said desperately before Steppenwolf chuckled.

"A child? A mere child wishes to fight back against me?" he laughed. "No matter, I shall make swift work of you before I continue with this sorceress. Any last words?"

"Well, the lyrics to 'Family Reunion' come to mind…" Keemia laughed nervously before turning and running away, Steppenwolf hot on her heels.

* * *

In the ruins of the Daily Planet newspaper building, Darkseid descended into the rubble before digging Superman out from under a large chunk of rock. He grasped him by the neck before lifting him off the ground to look him in the eye. "Don't leave us yet Kal-El, I want you to see your adopted homeworld bow down before me. Only then will I allow you Death's sweet release"

A batarang suddenly embedded itself into Darkseid's hand before exploding, causing him to drop Superman to the ground harmlessly.

"You said that exact thing, literally five minutes ago. You need some new material" Sandman quipped before striking Darkseid twice across the face with his mallets. The rubble of the building allowed him to take in more sand and debris, so his fists were now armed with concrete and rebar, which made for more powerful blows.

Luthor followed up, having arrived alongside Batman, by firing more shots from his pistols. Once Darkseid regained his bearings, he activated a button on his armour, as a crackling energy slowly came over his fists. He then struck against Flint, rendering his sand inert and solid as he flew back next to Batman before exploding into a cloud of sand.

"Parademons, dispose of these annoyances" he ordered, before several parademons swooped down from above to the three new arrivals.

"Oh great more of these things" Flint grimaced before smacking two aside with a large mace. "Can't these villains ever get competent lackeys?"

Darkseid watched his minions descend upon him before feeling a finger tap his shoulder. "Excuse me" a voice said, and as he turned his head, he was struck in the face by another blow from Superman. He flew back into the rubble with a grunt, as another fragmented wall collapsed on top of him. Superman nodded, surveying his handiwork before he flew in after Darkseid for another blow.

* * *

Back in China, most of the tourists on the Great Wall had long since fled. However, two individuals remained behind. One was a man wearing a brown trench coat and fedora. Standing next to him was a woman clad in black leather, with sunglasses and a large black sunhat that offset her tanned skin.

"We should help them" the man said, gesturing to the League and Star Sapphire who continued to fight the invaders.

"Yes, I suppose we should" the woman nodded before looking to the man quizzically. "These things aren't alive, are they?"

"They are organic robots, they only feel hatred" he corrected her as the two walked towards where the fighting was happening.

"Excellent, then I don't need to hold back" she smirked as they continued their approach. Wonder Woman who flew overhead, saw the two and was immediately surprised and alarmed that two civilians had stayed behind.

"Get away from here, it's not safe!" she warned them, before deflecting an energy blast with her bracelets.

"Don't worry, we're here to help" the main explained before immediately punching one of the parademons with immense strength, while the woman next to him simply tore another in half with her bare hands.

"I appreciate your intent-" Wonder Woman started before the parademon in front of her was immediately knocked out of the sky by another that the man below had flung into the sky. She turned in surprise to see both the man and the woman, fighting back with great strength, and in the case of the woman, ferocity. "Hera…" she muttered as Shining Knight and Star Sapphire both watched what was happening.

The woman tossed away her hat and sunglasses, revealing herself to be Salamandra as she continued to plow through the parademons. The man beside her simply transformed into a massive dragon before taking to the sky, knocking huge swathes of parademons away with his tail. The dragon then flew into the sky before stopping in front of Wonder Woman and transforming back to his normal form; J'onn J'onnz, the Martian Manhunter.

Wonder Woman looked at him before flinging herself forwards and embracing him joyfully. "J'onn! I thought you were still in K'un L'unn?"

"I was, but Salamandra and I decided to return here to celebrate our engagement" the Martian replied.

"You're engaged…. To her?" she asked before turning to see Salamandra leaping onto a tank, tearing it apart with her bare hands before she transformed into a large red dragon and breathed a large burst of fire to destroy another gunship.

"Yes I am" he nodded, his tone almost love struck as he watched Salamandra. "I have so much to tell you about"

She looked at him for another moment before nodding with a smile. "We'll catch up later"

"Wouldn't miss it. But, first things first" he said before the two flew back into the fray, they in turn charged at the large magma tower in the distance, their allies close behind them.

* * *

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, **CRAP**!" Keemia muttered before quickly ducking behind a building as she attempted to hide from Steppenwolf. The footsteps of the general shook the earth behind her as he continued to advance. Any minute now he would find her, and Keemia shuddered to think of what would happen if he did.

"Hey kid" a new voice called, as Keemia turned to see a man standing behind her. He was tall, almost 6'8", and his clothes looked very grungy. He wore an open flannel shirt, with a beige t-shirt beneath it. His jeans were faded with numerous paint stains, and he didn't even have shoes. His face was scruffy, and his eyes shone an unnatural blue. His hair was a fiery orange, tied back in a long pony tail. "Looks like you could use some help" he smirked.

"Yeah, that would be nice" she scoffed cynically. "Not sure what you can do about the large world-conquering general though"

"Just use this" he shrugged before handing her a large sledge hammer.

'What the…?" she asked, before she suddenly felt a massive amount of raw energy flooding her body, her eyes suddenly turning a deep coal black. When it subsided, she turned and noticed that the man was gone, in his place was just an empty alleyway.

She didn't have long to dwell, as Steppenwolf's footsteps indicated that he was just around the corner. She grasped the hammer tight, nodding to herself before she looked up. "God this better work…" she whispered.

"Where are you little one? I promise your death shall be swift" Steppenwolf chuckled before approaching the building she hid behind. Immediately, Keemia jumped out, the hammer behind her back, ready to swing.

"No, you!" she said before swinging the hammer right into his gut. In a second he was suddenly flung backwards by a large, explosive burst of energy. His armour touched by the hammer instantly exploded. Any that wasn't, corroded away to dust as he was flung back down the street, before eventually colliding with one of the numerous tanks.

In the wrecked metal of the vehicle, laid the now beaten form of Steppenwolf. His chest was rapidly turning black and blue with bruises, and a small trickle of blood oozed from his nose. "Im… impossible…" he groaned before passing out.

Keemia looked at the result of her strike in shock before dropping the hammer fearfully. The second it struck the pavement, the ground eroded away leaving a crater. The earth in the bottom was hard and compacted, yet still rapidly crumbling away to dust.

"What the hell was that?" she asked, looking back to Steppenwolf, before returning her gaze to the crater where the hammer laid. As soon as she did, however, the hammer was gone.

"What… the…. HELL?!"

* * *

Back in the basement of the Daily Planet, Batman used the last of his grapple lines to pull a parademon from the sky, swinging it into the ground before he moved back to back with Luthor. Luthor cocked his head to look at the detective curiously.

"Problem?"

"I'm out"

Luthor simply held out a pistol to the dark knight. "Take my extra"

Batman looked at it for a moment before declining. "Not my style"

"Suit yourself. I'm planning to live through this" he smirked before ducking under another parademon. Batman simply grasped the spear it was holding before flinging it away, where it was impaled by a piece of jagged metal.

The two then ran towards the large spire where Superman and Darkseid were still fighting, beating away any parademons that got too close before they were rejoined by Flint.

"How you holdin' up there bats?"

"Could be better" the detective said simply as the three rapidly approached their ally.

Superman struck Darkseid in the face again, before swinging another punch. Darkseid was ready however, and caught his fist easily, slowly crushing it in his hand. He then head-butted Superman roughly, knocking him to the ground, prone. His approach towards him was halted by Batman, who vaulted towards the villain before striking him in the face with both feet. Darkseid stumbled to the side before regaining his balance. He turned to look at Batman, his eyes full of malice, as they glowed faintly.

"Flee" he ordered before firing his omega beams at the dark knight. Batman was quick to dodge, flipping away off of the ledge he was perched on as the beams followed. He then leapt upon a still flying parademon before jumping off, causing the beams to strike it instead as he made his escape.

"Impressive" Darkseid commented, genuinely surprised. "No one has ever avoided my omega beam…" he trailed off before noticing Luthor. "I wonder if the other one is as agile"

Luthor turned from his own combat against the parademons to see Darkseid looking straight at him, his eyes glowing bright. Lex immediately paled at the sight of it before quickly running off to save his own skin.

Darkseid smirked lightly at that, barely noticeable. "Excellent strategy"

"How's mine?" Flint yelled before generating a massive column of sand and ramming it into Darkseid before striking him savagely with maces, mallets, and axes. The conqueror was forced back with each blow but swiftly retaliated with a backhanded strike. With the energy still flowing through his armour, he forced Flit into a solid body with the strike, and as a result, flung him out of the ruined building.

Flint flew across the street before crashing through a neighbouring building's window, and striking a wall where he once again exploded into sand to avoid further injury.

Superman watched all of this unfold with a grimace, slowly attempting to stand. However, Darkseid just kicked him off of the ledge towards the ground twenty feet below before jumping after him. "Your friends have abandoned you, or fallen before my might" Darkseid smirked before striking Superman twice with his fists. He then kneed the man of steel in the gut, doubling him over before using both hands to strike him down into the ground.

Superman fell to the ground limply, groaning I pain. However, Darkseid wasn't finished, as he grasped Superman's cape before lifting him with both hands above his head.

"Super or otherwise, you're merely a man. While I, am a god" he said decisively before dropping Superman onto his waiting knee. Superman cried out in pain before falling to the ground and rolling along the floor weakly.

* * *

Luthor ran until he was just outside of the building, before stopping to catch his breath. 'What was I thinking? Trying to fight Darkseid head on, it's impossible!' he mentally chastised himself before a swirling black portal opened before him, and the familiar figure of Vandal Savage stepped out.

"Ah, Mr. Luthor, how are you this fine day?" the immortal chuckled.

"Stow it, I know you've been watching the fighting, seeing what's transpired" he scowled.

"Yes, indeed I have. However, I also know that the day is not lost. The heroes shall win" he shrugged before looking around at the destruction. "Eventually"

Luthor put his pistols away before looking the immortal in the eyes. "So why are you here then?"

"I'm here to offer you an escape, a safe passage. After all, I need you alive" he said as Luthor nodded in understanding.

"Making another attempt to have me join you?" he surmised before mulling it over. On the one hand, he knew the Justice League would just hunt him down after all this was said and done, _if_ they managed to stop the invasion. On the other hand, what else did he have to lose? After another minute, he nodded before folding his arms. "Alright, I'm in"

"Excellent!" Savage said jovially before clapping his hands together. "Trust me Mr. Luthor, you will not regret this decision"

"I'd better not" Luthor scowled, following Savage back inside the portal.

"Oh trust me Mr. Luthor, we will get you to see… the Light"

* * *

Flint Marko groaned out in pain as his sand slowly swirled together, reforming his body for what felt like the millionth time that day. He was tired. Tired, and most certainly sore. He might have invulnerability but the battle was still taking its toll on him. And despite their various successes, they still didn't seem any closer to an actual victory.

"God… this is impossible…" he groaned out before standing, to see the numerous parademons that still swirled and circled around the Daily Planet. "There's just no way to win, there's too many of them"

He watched the crowds of invaders, before looking to see ever more of the spaceships and tanks start to arrive through yet another Boom Tube. "We'd need an army… and where are we gonna get an army?" he asked himself with a frown before his hands fell to his waist.

The second they did, he felt a familiar shape in his pocket. It took him a moment to realise what it was, but as soon as he did, he immediately face-palmed. "Oh damn it, How could I forget about his?" he asked before reaching inside and taking out the device.

* * *

Superman rose to his feet again, just in time for Darkseid to deliver another wicked punch that sent him stumbling back. Darkseid followed him with every step before delivering a vicious haymaker that sent Superman into the floor. Batman used this opening however, to leap on Darkseid's back, attempting to put him in a headlock.

"You still try to fight?" he asked rhetorically, before grasping Batman and throwing him away. "Can't you see that it's hopeless?"

With that, Superman caught his second-wind before rushing forward and punching Darkseid in the face, sending him careening across the room. But Superman wasn't done, as he struck Darkseid into a wall before grasping him tightly by the throat, a hardened glare on his face. "That man won't quit as long as he can still draw breath, none of my teammates will" he said defiantly. "Me? I've got a different problem…"

He punched Darkseid again, and again, and again. Each punch pushed him further and further back into the brick of the wall until finally, one last punch sent Darkseid through the brick and the mortar, and out the other side of the wall, where he ended up in the street.

Darkseid slowly picked himself off of the ground, as he saw Superman approach. The man of steel glowered at him before continuing. "I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard, always taking constant care not to break something… to break someone. Never allowing myself to lose control, even for a moment, or someone could die!"

Darkseid stood before attempting to strike back, but Superman blocked his attempt before countering with another punch to his face, which sent him flying back yet again. "But you can take it, can't you big man? What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose and show you just how powerful I really am" he finished before crouching down. The ground crumbled under his feet before he rocketed forwards towards Darkseid at blinding speeds.

Darkseid only had moments to look up before Superman struck him head on, with the single strongest punch he ever mustered. The result was impressive as Darkseid was sent flying through the sky, and the shockwaves from the punch ruptured every window all along the street from the direct vicinity of the hit.

Darkseid rocketed through the sky, crashing through building after building, before Superman eventually caught up with his speed, where he waited for Darkseid himself to arrive. As soon as he was in range, Superman clasped his hands above his head before using them to strike Darkseid, slamming him down into the streets below.

A massive crater was formed in the pavement, and at the very center lay a very beaten Darkseid. The lord of Apokolips grunted in pain, before turning to see Superman land on the edge of the crater. "Had enough?" the man of steel asked.

"Not quite yet…" Darkseid scowled, standing up slowly as Superman flew towards him again. However, Darkseid suddenly flung what looked like an electrified net at the hero. It instantly wrapped around Superman, sending him crashing to the floor as he screamed in agony.

Superman laid bound on the ground, writhing and crying out in pain as the electricity from the net flooded all through his body. Darkseid simply smirked at his own handiwork as he watched the downed Kryptonian suffer.

"It's called the Agony Matrix; direct neural stimulation of pain receptors, all of them" he revealed, before walking towards the downed Superman. "Imagine the worst pain you've ever felt in your life, times a thousand. Now imagine that pain continuing forever"

He stopped just above Superman, as the hero weakly looked up at him, his body still convulsing from the pain. "Oh that's right, you don't have to imagine it"

Darkseid continued to watch his enemy writhe in pain before shaking his head, almost wistfully. "Still alive? You impress me. More, your valour has touched my heart. Oh yes, there is still some small part of me, that knows mercy" he said before raising his hand, and pulling a silver strip from his gauntlet. "I will end your pain, with something special I've been saving, for just this occasion" he smirked before pressing a button on the strip, causing a blade of kryptonite to appear out of it. 'I'm going to care out your heart and put it on a pike in my throne room"

Superman lowered his head slowly, dreading what was to come as Darkseid prepared to make the final blow. However, before he could, a massive green hand would suddenly grasp his wrist as a deep grunting could be heard behind him.

"Rock man hurt boy scout… boy scout Hulk's friend… **HULK SMASH ROCK MAN!** " the ten-foot tall green goliath bellowed before picking Darkseid up by his wrist and slamming him into the ground repeatedly. After a few strikes, he switched to punching him down further and further into the ground before throwing the Apokoliptan ruler into a building.

Superman looked up in surprise as Hulk pulled the Agony Matrix off of him, casting it aside. He took a moment to breathe before noticing Batman, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Sandman all gathered around him.

"Looks like you could use a hand son" Captain America smiled before helping Superman up of the ground.

"Thanks for the save Captain" he said graciously.

"Oh don't thank us. Thank Flint, he called for help" Iron Man commented.

"Yeah, I figured we could use some help, so I called in some assistance from the other world" He mused.

"How much help?" Superman asked.

"As much as we could gather" Flint smirked before raising a massive mallet and pointing it at the slowly standing Darkseid. "Alright, now what do you say we end this invasion?"

"Verily" Thor nodded, thunder crackling around Mjolnir.

"Sounds good to me Flint" Iron Man agreed. "Now, why don't you do the honours?"

"You mean it?" he said with a hopeful glint. Seeing Captain America nod to him, he smirked before pressing his finger to his communicator. "Alright, all points to battle; **AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!** "

* * *

"Just surrender now girl, and maybe we'll let you join the Furies as penance" Bernadeth glowered to Supergirl who slowly attempted to stand. Behind her, the battered forms of Longshadow and Shazam shook their heads defiantly. Supergirl spat off to the side before shaking her head as well.

"Never. I'll never join you. I would sooner die!"

Bernadeth seemed unmoved as the rest of the Furies gathered around her. "So be it then" she declare before raising the Fahren-knife, until…

" **GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!** " a voice bellowed before striking Bernadeth head-on. The leader of the Furies was flung back, her nose very violently broken as the other three looked up in shock to see Galatea. She wore a less than enthused expression, her new red cape billowing in the wind behind her before she looked back to Supergirl.

"You okay there Kara?"

"Yeah, I am now" Supergirl nodded, her hopes raised. Bernadeth grasped her head in pain before a glob of webbing struck her mouth, while another trapped her hand onto her head.

"Ouch, this looks like a doozy of a fight here" Spider-Man laughed as he swung in, Captain Marvel close behind him. "Bet you're glad we're here to help"

"We certainly are" Shazam nodded before seeing several massive gunships starting to bear down on them. "Got any way to take those down fast?"

"I do" Captain Marvel nodded. "I'm just gonna need to absorb a lot of energy to do it"

Shazam thought for a moment before holding her up in the air. She squirmed in his grip, looking at him in shock.

"What are you doing kid?"

"Just trust me, and be ready to absorb this!" he said seriously before looking to the sky. " **SHAZAM!** "

Instantly, a massive thunderbolt rained down from the sky before striking Captain Marvel head on. She managed to absorb all of its power as her eyes glowed a bright yellow. Shazam nodded before setting her down on the round. "How's that for power?"

She looked at her hands for a moment, crackling with electricity, before she smirked. "It's perfect" she said confidently before the energy suddenly coalesced around her as she gave a battle cry. Her hair became engulfed in flames, as her skin took on a reddish hue. "Behold, the power of Binary!" she yelled before firing a massive beam from her hands. In a second, the instantly vaporized every gunship in the sky above them, as well as any unlucky parademons that were too close by.

"Holy crap!" Supergirl said in horror and surprise as the Furies helped Bernadeth to her feet. Their leader managed to cut the webbing away before shaking her head. "We must retreat, immediately!" she ordered before the four of them escaped through a hastily conjured Boom Tube.

As the four left, the heroes reconvened amongst themselves as Captain Marvel clapped Shazam on the back. "Thanks for the power up Billy"

"Oh, uh... anytime" he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head as a blush started to grow across his face.

"Oh man, we missed it?" a new voice called, as the group turned to see the Ultimen having arrived, with Wind Dragon being the one to look at the now finished battle with a frown.

"Guys, you came to help us too?" Longshadow asked as he ran over to greet them.

"Of course, why wouldn't we?" Juice asked with a grin. "You're our friend man. Besides, we gotta show you the new combos we learned!"

"Then you can try them out on them" Spider-Man commented before jerking a thumb over his shoulder to the remaining crowd of parademons.

"Well, it's better than nothing" Wind Dragon sighed before nodding. "Come on Ultimen; to battle!" he called before the four lead the charge, soon followed by their allies as they went to attack the last of the invaders.

* * *

"God these things just keep coming, don't they?" The Shade said in annoyance as he conjured yet another monster made of shadows to attack several more parademons. Beside him, Constantine was taking a moment to catch his breath, before he looked to Dr. Fate.

"How many more o' these bloody things are there?"

"I do not know John, this battle has been raging for quite some time" the sorcerer frowned before raising his hand to attack yet another swarm. However, another blast beat him to it as they turned in surprise to see Doctor Strange.

"Kent, it would appear that you require my assistance yet again" Strange chuckled as Fate gave his own laugh.

"Too true old friend, too true"

"Then allow me to even the odds" Strange nodded before waving his hands as Ian McNee, Brother Voodoo, and Elsa Bloodstone all appeared and joined in the fray. Elsa instantly pulled out her Uzis before using them to blast holes through several parademons as she made her way over to Constantine.

"This is becoming a real pattern, me saving your arse"

"Well maybe I just use these moments to look at yours!" he countered before blasting more with a stream off hellfire.

"The flirting I sincerely hope can wait, until these hordes at last abate!" Etrigan interrupted, Constantine and Elsa nodding to each other. Then they leapt back into the fray to assist their allies, as Hawkman, Stargirl, and S.T.R.I.P.E. finally rendezvoused with them to finish their battle.

* * *

Down in Midway City, Wolverine had leapt into the streets alongside Creeper, Hawk, and Dove, giving a savage roar as he slashed and clawed his way through parademons. Up on a rooftop, Huntress had taken up a sniper position alongside the newly arrived Domino, while Question covered their backs.

"You're a good shot there. Any chance you could give me a hand with some cases?" Huntress asked good-naturedly.

"If I have time. I usually do these gigs for money" Domino shrugged.

"That reminds me, whatever happened to the man who arrived with you?" Question asked, from where he had beaten down another parademon.

"What do you mean? Wade's right…" she trailed off before turning to see that Deadpool was in fact missing. "Where'd he go?!"

* * *

Deadpool grinned under his mask as he laid comfortably under the comforter of a large bed. His left arm wrapped around the shoulders of a pale girl, the only defining feature she had being the eye of Horus under her own eye, and the silver ankh necklace she wore. "Heh… Best. Day. Ever"

* * *

In Venice, Killer Frost found herself surrounded by a large crowd of parademons. She had gotten in a little over her head and as a result was left without any backup. "Damn it. You want some of this? Come and get it!" she yelled before firing beams of ice to freeze several of them where they stood. However, dozens more soon arrived to replace them faster than she could blast.

She prepared for the end when suddenly an all too familiar roar was heard.

" **GET AWAY FROM HER!** " King Shark bellowed, as he grasped a nearby parademon, using it as a bat to attack several of its allies. He was soon joined by Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Captain Boomerang, as Rick Flagg lead them into battle.

"Squad behind me! Keep her safe!" he ordered as Frost rushed forwards to hug Shark.

"Shark, you came!" she said happily as he hugged her back.

"Wouldn't miss it for anything" he smiled before the squad grouped together in formation. "Now come on, let's fight the end of the world together!"

Frost smirked, readying another blast of ice between her fingers. "How romantic"

* * *

Darkseid picked himself off of the ground weakly, before he spat a glob of blood from his mouth. These new arrivals were relentless, especially the big green one. And with the added strength of Superman and the Sandman, they were proving to be far more dangerous than it was worth.

He brought up a holoscreen to check the status of his army around the world, only to find a similar situation. New arrivals he had never seen before coming to turn the tide of battle. They appeared wherever the League was, in groups of two or three, and yet they were still causing his own forces to be decimated.

"Surrender Darkseid. It's over" Superman ordered, floating to the ground in front of him as he was flanked by the other heroes.

Darkseid stood up defiantly, before taking stock of his situation again. Thus, with much regret, he opened a Boom Tube behind him before sending an order to retreat. "This is not over Kal-El. I will return one day, and finish what I have started here" he said before leaving through the Boom Tube.

Worldwide, his ships and soldiers all did much the same, as they picked up their fallen before returning home to Apokolips. Steppenwolf barely managed to limp himself through, while the Furies had long since abandoned their post. The invasion of Earth was a failure.

The Justice League had prevailed.

* * *

"Thanks again for all your help you guys. You really pulled our fat out of the fire" Flint said gratefully, shaking Captain America's hand gratefully. In the wake of the battle, the League had returned to the Metro tower with the villains who assisted, as well as the heroes from Flint's universe who had also joined in the battle. The only villain who hadn't returned with them was Frost, as she seemed keener to leave with the Suicide Squad. No one attempted to stop her.

For the most part, they had all cleared out and returned to their own world, however there were still some who stuck around for final goodbyes.

Thor was trading stories of battle with Wonder Woman, the two looking both intrigued and invested in the stories they had to share, while Constantine continued his discussion with Elsa Bloodstone. Flint wasn't quite sure what they were talking about, but he heard them mention something called the "Hideous Felch-Monster", so he decided to leave them alone.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Supergirl asked Galatea, a small frown on her face. Galatea nodded her head, before placing a hand on Kara's shoulder.

"I'm sure. I have a good life in the other universe right now, and I don't want to leave it" she explained. "I mean, I don't want to leave you, but I can't just leave webs. He'd be lost without me" she smirked before the two laughed amongst themselves.

Longshadow and Stargirl were both talking amongst the Ultimen, listening to Wind Dragon recount a story about one of the battles they had at the academy. "… and just then, right when everything seemed lost, I swooped in and made a tornado to throw the monster into the ocean!"

"Uh huh, and what did you say the monster was called?" Longshadow asked, his face skeptical.

"Uh… Tricephalous?"

Stargirl and Longshadow both raised their eyebrows skeptically, before looking to the other Ultimen. Shifter simply raised her hands in response.

"Don't look at us, we weren't there for this one"

"Well, we'd love to stay but we really do have to get back" Cap said as Iron Man activated their portal again. "We'll see you around though Flint?"

"Yeah you will. I'll always be back for the occasional visit. Besides, you can always come to visit whenever you want" Flint nodded.

"Trust me, we will" Iron man added as they left through the portal, eventually leaving just Spider-Man and Galatea behind.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye. Again" Spider-Man said before shaking Flint's hand.

"I guess so webs. Take care"

"I will Flint. Until next time" he nodded before turning. However, before he could leave, Galatea nudged his shoulder.

"Aren't you forgetting something _**important**_?" she asked, putting extra emphasis on 'important', as Spider-Man suddenly nodded.

"Oh right" he said before pulling an invitation out of his costume and handing it to Flint. "Here you go, one invitation for our wedding!"

"Oh thanks" Flint smiled before realising what he said. "Wait, your wedding?!"

"Yep. Bye Flint!"

Flint just stood there blinking in surprise as the portal closed. "Okay then… I'm gonna need to talk with him later…" he muttered to himself before turning to reconvene with Zatanna. "How's your head? I heard from Heatwave that you hit that car pretty hard"

"Yeah I did, Steppenwolf can sure pack a punch" she nodded, removing her ice pack before dissipating it. "But it's fine now. The wonders of magic"

"Well, the important thing is that you're safe. Even if the Rogues had to help out against Steppenwolf" he sighed, shaking his head at how Wally's villains had yet again gotten to run around his city.

"Actually it wasn't the Rogues that helped me against Steppenwolf. Keemia was the one who stopped him" Zatanna revealed

"Keemia? My little girl fought that invasion? She fought Steppenwolf?!" he said in alarm as Zatanna placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"I know, I was just as worried as you were but Keemia… she had some sort of weapon. It exuded this energy I'd never felt before, and it defeated Steppenwolf in just one hit"

"Was it some sort of magic?" he asked, his interested now piqued.

"If it is magic, it's very old magic. I've never seen or felt anything like it" she frowned, folding her arms. "It had to have come from some ancient being… something very old and powerful"

He frowned at this information, cupping his chin. "We'll get Dr. Fate to look into this, but for now let's just put this aside. We'll continue her lessons, but I will be talking to her about proper responses to alien invasions"

"At least until she's become more adept?"

"Oh no way, she's getting grounded until she's forty" he added as Zatanna laughed, the two now walking over to where the founders were talking.

"I can't believe he just ran off. Where did he even go?" Superman frowned, referring to how Lex had abandoned them mid-fight.

"I believe it. Of course Luthor would be one to abandon us in the middle of a fight" the detective surmised gruffly. "I'll be sure to look into it once we're done here"

"Maybe he just disappeared? That way we don't have to deal with him again" Flash suggested.

"God, wouldn't that be amazing?" Flint smirked.

"We can only hope" Superman sighed as Green Lantern nodded.

"What's that old saying? Believe half of what you see…"

"And none of what you hear" Hawkgirl finished before folding her arms. "He'll be back"

"And we'll be ready for him" J'onn nodded, Salamandra holding onto his arm possessively.

"Meanwhile, it's high time that Luthor's partners-in-crime were locked up" Wonder Woman said, as the villains now grimaced.

"Wait a minute? We help you guys save the world and we don't even get any consideration?" Atomic Skull protested. Some of the villains behind him nodded their agreement, as the Leaguers looked among themselves. Finally, Batman spoke.

"You're right" he said, surprising the villains present. "Five minute head-start"

"Five minutes? Are you kidding?!" Skull repeated in shock before Wonder Woman stepped in front of him, folding her arms.

"Four minutes, fifty-seconds"

At her new declaration, the villains all started rushing off in a hasty retreat, with the exception of Giganta. She ran up to Shocker with a coy smile on her face, before pulling his mask away from his lips and kissing him. "See you 'round Tex" she grinned before following behind the other villains, Shocker touching his lips with a grin as Rhino just smirked in response.

The heroes, true to their word did wait the time they allotted, before they proceeded outside the Metro Tower, approaching the stairs. J'onn walked down the stairs alongside Salamandra a small smile on his face.

"We should be home in time for dinner, unless you want take out?"

"I think I'd prefer eating in tonight" Salamandra mused before kissing his cheek.

Flash stopped mid-step behind him before grimacing. "These are the end times…" he sighed before Fire prodded him back down with a playful smirk as she moved on ahead to join up with Ice.

"After all this, I think I'm ready for a nice vacation" Flint sighed as Zatanna nodded alongside him.

"Agreed. I'm doing a Vegas show next week, why don't you join me?"

"You know, that sounds like a lot of fun" he agreed. "I've never been to Vegas. Let's just hope Condiment King doesn't show up again" he added as Zatanna grumbled at the mention of her new least favourite villain.

"A head start" Superman mused, shaking his head before he looked at Bruce. "You're getting soft in your old age"

"Don't you have a tall building to go leap?" Batman retorted, the smallest of smiles on his face as Wonder Woman shook her head wistfully behind them.

"And the adventure continues…" she laughed before the heroes ran down the stairs after the villains:

Constantine

Etrigan

Blue Devil

Looker

The Shade

Hawkman

Aztek

B'wana Beast

Metamorpho

Steel

Question

Huntress

Captain Atom

Creeper

Hawk and Dove

Stargirl

S.T.R.I.P.E.

Longshadow

Crimson Avenger

Vigilante

Shining Knight

Atom Smasher

Dr. Fate

Dr. Mid-Nite

Hourman

Wildcat

Mr. Terrific

Vibe

Mirage

Citizen Steel

Vixen

Rhino

Shocker

Booster Gold

Ice

Fire

Elongated Man

Rocket Red

Crimson Fox

Doctor Light

Shazam

Supergirl

Red Tornado

Atom

Zatanna

Sandman

Green Arrow

Black Canary

Aquaman

Salamandra

Martian Manhunter

The Flash

Green Lantern

Hawkgirl

Superman

Wonder Woman

And Batman.

The Justice League; united and ready to save the world.

* * *

 **Epilogue:**

In the wake of Darkseid's invasion, the League had found that many things changed. The Metro Tower, for example, had recently undergone a bit of a revision in architecture, making it look more simple. It was now a large white building, with two large pillars and a great circular hall in between. Flash jokingly referred to this new building as the "Hall of Justice" to the crowd of reporters on opening day. Nobody in the League believed it would stick.

It did.

Another change was that Aquaman, a former part timer, had now decided to join the Justice League full time. He had kept the coastlines safe during Darkseid's invasion, but seeing how effectively the League worked to protect the whole planet, he felt it was high time that he did the same.

Lex Luthor was another big change. Just months after the invasion ended, he had resurfaced, once again in charge of LexCorp with his past reputation back and seemingly intact. At first the League was outraged and attempted to recapture him, but then Mr. Terrific discovered something alarming; his entire criminal record was gone. Every single criminal activity from the last ten years was completely erased, like it was never there. There was nothing aside from his philanthropic and business pursuits. The entire world had forgotten he had nearly destroyed it. Begrudgingly, the League opted not to act on this, at least not until they had any concrete evidence that his record was previously criminal.

For now, Lex Luthor was a free man.

But as usual, far as many things had changed, there were of course some that never changed. One of these things was the return of poker night, and so Flint had once again gathered around his kitchen table with Wally, John, Ollie, Herman, and Aleksei. They were several rounds into their game, and the newest pot was getting fairly large. The players were all incredibly focused, each watching the other carefully to ensure there was no cheating.

"So..." John said, trying to start a conversation. "Is any one here taking their sidekicks to join the League on Friday?"

"I am" Wally nodded. "Barry's been pestering me forever to allow him to join, so I kinda have to"

"Apparently Robin's been doing the same for Batman" Herman pointed out.

"Well, Speedy is definitely going to be there" Green Arrow chimed in.

"I thought he was already a member of that Titans group with Nightwing?" Flint spoke up.

"He is, but the Titans have been on a bit of a break for the last little while" he shrugged. "Did you hear that J'onn might be bringing someone?"

"J'onn, really? Who would he bring?" Aleksei asked.

"Not sure. Maybe he has a relative?" Wally mused.

"That would still be unexpected" John shrugged. "What about Keemia? Is she gonna join?"

"Oh for sure, she definitely is. She's been wanting this for a long time now, almost as long as Barry" Flint grinned. "She'll be great"

"Please, nobody wants it more than Barry" Flash laughed as they all broke into hearty chuckles.

"Y'know what guys?" Flint asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"No, what?" Herman replied.

"This hero business is the best thing that ever happened to me" he decided as the other nodded in agreement before continuing their game.

* * *

From the Blue Area of the moon, Uatu watched these events unfold from his special viewing screen. He had viewed the last few years of Flint Marko's life with great interest; the events he changed, the lives he touched, the good work he did. He watched it all, and nodded with pride.

"Well done Flint... Well done"

* * *

 **And there you have it, the fic is done.**

 **Two years and one near cancellation later, it's finally finished.**

 **I'm sad to see it go, but I'm glad it happened.**

 **Besides, there's so much to unpack here:**

 **What is this new power that Keemia used? (In addition to how she used the ultimate teenage comeback)**

 **What is Darkseid planning now that he failed ANOTHER invasion?**

 **What is the Light planning behind the scenes, that they have been planning since the Society arc began?**

 **All these and more will be answered, in the sequel.**

 **Thanks again you guys for sticking around this long, and for giving me all of this support. It's humbling and it gives me the motivation I need to write.**

 **Be sure to read and review, let me know what you thought of this finale!**

 **For now, I'll be seeing you in the sequel;**

 **Flint Marko, Keemia Marko, and the Justice League will return,**

 **in "Alchemic Justice"!**

 **Coming soon!**

 **Until then, remember to be awesome and stay awesome, and have an awesome day!**

 **One last time, Ciao for now!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


	39. Important Notice

**QUICK UPDATE!**

 **The first chapter of the sequel "Alchemic Justice" has been posted!**

 **Check it out for the epic continuation!**

 **~WafflesTheApprentice**


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